Rob Letterman Helming Legendary’s ‘Detective Pikachu’ Pokémon Movie
Legendary Entertainment has tapped Rob Letterman to direct Detective Pikachu, according to a report by Deadline. The hybrid CG-animation/live-action film follows Detective Pikachu, a new character and storyline in the Pokémon universe based off of the Pokémon Go mobile game. The screenplay is being written by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch.
Letterman is currently directing DreamWorks Animation’s Captain Underpants, alongside David Soren, and previously directed Monsters vs. Aliens and Shark Tale (which he also scripted) for DWA. His most recent project was the 2015 feature, Goosebumps.
Legendary’s distribution partner Universal Pictures will reportedly release Detective Pikachu outside Japan. Toho, the Pokémon Company’s longtime movie collaborator, will handle distribution of the film franchise in Japan, as it had done in its partnership with Legendary on its iconic monster reboot for Godzilla.