POKÉMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Everyone’s favourite Pokémon is getting sassy…
Director Rob Letterman Starring Ryan Reynolds (voice), Justice Smith, Ken Watanabe
“Yeah, we were all excited, but I honestly don’t think anyone actually expected to break the internet!” says Rob Letterman (Goosebumps), talking about the moment last month when the trailer for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu came out of nowhere and instantly went viral. Pushed off radars because so many other Pokémon movies have come and gone in the past, no one really realised just how different this one was.
To start with, it’s live action – set in a world in which humans and (CG) Pokémon live side-by-side. “It’s sort of a daytime Blade Runner,” laughs Letterman, describing the stylish noir vibes of his Ryme City, filmed in London using vintage lenses to add a glow of nostalgia. “I wanted to make the world feel real. We knew we wanted to bring the Pokémon characters to life and that means you have to believe that they’re actually alive. So I wanted to film on location, shoot on film, and I wanted the Pokémon to all be photorealistic – right down to every hair.”
He also wanted Ryan Reynolds to play Pikachu… The little yellow rodent usually only squeaks his own name, but in the world of Detective Pikachu (sort-of based on the spin-off Nintendo game), he talks in a deep, sarcastic voice – partnering up with human kid Tim (Justice Smith) to help him find his ex-cop dad in an Amblin-esque adventure with the weirdest buddy-cop team ever.
“Ryan has this incredible improv brain,” says Letterman. “It’s almost like having an extra writer on board. You give him the script and he does it. But then he starts riffing. I don’t think anyone else really could have done it, but it didn’t hit us until we did the first animation test just how perfect Ryan’s voice is for Pikachu.” Who saw that one coming? PB POKÉMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU OPENS ON 10 MAY.