Pokemon: Detective Pikachu 2 apparently still in the works, despite total silence

Bring back Ditto Girl

Production company Legendary Entertainment has offered a non-committal commitment to the idea that it is still working on a sequel to the hit 2019 movie Pokemon: Detective Pikachu — Speaking in comments to Polygon, a spokesperson for the production company stated that plans for the film were “still in active development”.

The original film — directed by Rob Letterman and starring Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, and Kathryn Newton — was a delightful love letter to the world of Pokemon. The movie smartly blended live-action with wonderful CGI iterations of the much-beloved critters, for a fun adventure packed out with characters, references, and smart sight gags. Pulling in a $433 million box office, a sequel had been already announced even before the final edit had premiered on the big screen.

Since then, however, production has been very quiet. The writers of the original film, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, noted in a recent interview that they had heard nothing of their own involvement in the sequel, but would gladly pen a second film if asked. Samit had suggested that the “ongoing conversation” about the movie was “complex” and involved a lot of red tape and hoop-leaping over rights and licenses.

Smith himself also remains in the dark as to the sequel’s status. “I would love to participate in Detective Pikachu 2,” Smith told entertainment outlet Inverse in a 2021 interview. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen. I think we have to just kind of bury our hopes. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I really hope so though. Honestly, I’m such a huge fan, who knows, who knows? I hope so.”

The common denominator from all parties appears to be that the fate of Detective Pikachu 2 lies, as always, in the hands of the money men — Who owns what? What do they want to do with it? Where do the rights lie for such-and-such a character? Are we making a streaming show instead? And, as is often the case, the opportunity to simply make a fine, solid, financially lucrative piece of entertainment might get buried alongside the bureaucracy of ensuring everyone makes all the money Goddamit.

Where did Pokémon: Detective Pikachu 2 go? [Polygon]