A live-action Pokemon Netflix series is in the works from Lucifer showrunner Joe Henderson, reports Variety.
No plot details have been revealed just yet, but Henderson is reportedly attached to write and executive produce the series. The writer and producer also has credits on Hulu's 11.22.63 series, as well as Graceland and White Collar.
The project is said to be in the early stages of development, so it's tough to paint a picture of the series at this point. For what it's worth, Variety compares it to 2019's Detective Pikachu, the live-action/animation hybrid movie starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular sleuthing Pokemon.
To be clear, the Pokemon Netflix series is its own, independent production, but it sounds like the animation style will be similar to Detective Pikachu. At the very least, it's safe to assume the upcoming live-action Pokemon Netflix series will similarly blend live-action with animation, as it's pretty tricky to find real Pokemon roaming around the wild (unless you're playing Pokemon Go).
Of course, Netflix is already the streaming home for the Pokemon series, with an array of Pokemon movies and shows already featured in its catalog. There's the classic Indigo League from 1997 where you can relive Ash's fateful team-up with Pikachu, and then you've got the most recent season – the 23rd, believe it or not – Pokemon Journeys, which wrapped its run on Netflix with the final 12 episodes in March. Of course, you'll also find a handful of Pokemon movies on Netflix, including Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You! and Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us.
I'm most interested to see whether Netflix plans to angle its live-action Pokemon series toward a new generation of Pokemon fans, i.e. kids, or toward the Millenials that grew up with Indigo League. Detective Pikachu is by far the most "mature" take we've seen The Pokemon Company let slide, but it sounds like the chances of that movie getting a sequel are slim, so it's unclear if the series will deal in adult themes and let Pikachu get away with saying things like "hell."
While we wait for the live-action Pokemon Netflix series, here are the best Netflix shows to watch in July 2021.
