Detective Pikachu set photos offer glimpse at Pokémon & Ryme City

January 29th 2018, 10:26am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Fans of Pokémon probably hoped the first live-action movie would involve gym battles, badge-collecting and fight off colorful, silly gangsters. But instead, we'll have Ryan Reynolds voicing a sassy Pikachu as he hunts criminals in DETECTIVE PIKACHU. Still, this is the first we’ll see the Pokémon world come to life, and we now have our first peek at it in some set photos of the Ryme City police department.

The photos were posted by Twitter user @HowardBud (via ComingSoon), and in them, you can see a glimpse of the set pieces for Ryme City, including a notice board with “Missing” posters for some Pokémon. You can see images for Graveler, Pancham and Machoke, giving you a glimpse at how the Pokémon will transition from the game screen to the silver screen. If you were hoping they would be real actors in prosthetic makeup then prepare to be disappointed.

Stumbled across #DetectivePikachu FILM SET PROPS!!!!!!
In central London!
.#Pokemon #pokemonmovie #pokemonmovie #Pokemonfilm #filmprops #pokemonleaked #leaked pic.twitter.com/iFIKCZlvVH

— HowBud (@HowardBud) January 27, 2018

It’s not a ton to look at, but it’s our first glimpse at the movie in any form. Directed by Rob Letterman (GOOSEBUMPS), the movie will follow Pikachu (Reynolds via motion capture) as he teams with two humans (Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton) to solve a series of Pokémon disappearances. Ken Watanabe was recently added to the cast as well, and the movie is set to come out on May 10, 2019 (one week after AVENGERS 4).

For years I never thought they would even try to make a live-action Pokémon movie, given how sprawled out the main game series is, and how difficult that would be to hone into one movie. But at least DETECTIVE PIKACHU offers a bit more focus, even if the premise is a little silly. I mean, it's about a little yellow mouse with the voice of Deadpool going around and solving mysteries. That has to be good for something.

DETECTIVE PIKACHU arrives May 10, 2019.