A live-action Pokémon series will be coming to Netflix and is in early development, Variety reported Monday morning. Joe Henderson, co-showrunner and executive producer on Netflix’s Lucifer, is set to write and executive produce the new series.
According to Variety, the series will be similar to the 2019 live-action Pokémon film Pokémon Detective Pikachu starring Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith. It will also be an independent production and will be the first live-action series in the Pokémon universe, following a long list of animated shows. Netflix is already home to a few of those shows and has a few streaming service exclusives, such as the film Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution.
Netflix has some experience in the realm of live-action remakes, with the release of the live-action Death Note film in 2017. The streaming service has recently been dabbling in new anime content as well, with live-action shows in the works for Cowboy Bebop and One Piece.
There is little information on the new series outside of the fact that it is happening and is in early development, and there are currently no casting plans or plot in place. Given the success of the live-action film Pokémon Detective Pikachu, which grossed $430 million worldwide, it will be interesting to see whether or not the Netflix exclusive satisfies long-time Pokémon fans.