Legendary Entertainment has closed a deal for Oren Uziel to write the script for a sequel to the upcoming “Detective Pikachu,” the first live-action film based on the globally popular Pokémon franchise, an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap.
Uziel most recently worked on the screenplay for Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog.” His past credits include writing and directing “Shimmer Like,” “The Cloverfield Paradox,” and “22 Jump Street.”
“Detective Pikachu” directed by Rob Letterman and starring Ryan Reynolds, Ken Watanabe, Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton, is set to be released by Warner Bros. on May 10, 2019.
The film features a mix of human actors and CGI Pokémon. It’s a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, but Tim comes across Reynolds’ intelligent Pikachu, who instead seeks to be a detective. Pokémon has delighted fans of all ages around the world for over two decades and is one of the most successful entertainment properties in the world.
“Detective Pikachu” comes after the phenomenal success of the augmented reality mobile game Pokémon GO, based on the popular the Japanese TV series, trading cards and video games.
Uziel is represented by WME, Writ Large and attorney David Fox.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.