Netflix Pokemon live-action series: Everything we know so far

Netflix Pokemon Live-Action Series
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

We're going to get a Netflix Pokemon live-action series, and the folks at the big red streaming machine have shouted "I choose you!" at one of the minds behind Lucifer, who is reportedly running the show. 

According to a report from Variety, the show will be written and executive produced by Joe Henderson (Lucifer), an interesting pairing considering Pokémon's child-friendly content. Currently, Netflix is the home to a ton of Pokémon content, including shows Pokémon: Indigo League and Pokémon Journeys, as well as multiple films. 

It’s no surprise that Netflix wants to create more content for Pokémon’s huge fanbase. Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, Pokémon has become a household name, with millions of fans worldwide.

Pokémon could be in good hands with Netflix, as it has a great track record with adapting video games — just look at the success of The Witcher and Castlevania. The upcoming Cuphead show looks pretty good as well.

The thing that could make Pokéfans nervous though is the less-than-stellar reputation of some of Netflix’s other adaptations, especially those that went from anime to live-action. The 2017 Netflix movie Death Note was not well received by fans of the original anime series, and the recent Netflix He-Man reboot may be a hit with critics, but it's stirred up a lot of controversy from viewers. Hopes for Netflix’s first attempt at Pokémon are high, but some fans proceed with caution. 

Netflix Pokemon live-action show release date speculation

We unfortunately don’t have any information on the release date at the moment. The most we can say is because the series has only just been announced, we probably won’t get to see the show until late 2022 at the very soonest. 

Variety's report noted that the show is in "early development" and the likely post-production time necessary to get the graphics right would take a while. At least there are plenty of Pokémon anime episodes to watch on Netflix in the meantime.

Netflix Pokemon live-action show cast and crew speculation

There’s not much information on the cast available yet. Variety only stated that the series would be "akin to" the 2019 Detective Pikachu movie, not a continuation thereof. 

What we do know is that the show will be written and executive produced by Joe Henderson, well known for his work on the 2016 show Lucifer. It’s hard to say how well his experience writing for a suave and handsome resident of hell will translate into writing for Pokémon, but we’re interested to see his take on it.

Netflix Pokemon live-action show plot and story 

All we have to go on is that above notion that Netflix’s live-action Pokémon show would be similar to the Detective Pikachu film. 

While we doubt it will be any sort of direct sequel or continuation, it does give us an idea of what the series could be like. A witty, modern series with a focus on how Pokémon are integrated into everyday life would be a dream come true. 

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Millie Davis-Williams

Millie is a Deals Editor at Tom's Guide specializing in deals content. She also covers the latest tech news and and creates how-to articles about everything from phones, streaming devices, and headphones to apps and video games. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming on her Nintendo Switch and creating digital art.

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