For Gen 1 fans, Detective Pikachu is quickly turning into the must-see movie event of the summer.
And in a year which will also deliver big-name films like Avengers: Endgame, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Lion King to theaters, that’s quite a statement. But it’s fair to say that Detective Pikachu, the live-action video game adaptation from Warner Bros. and director Rob Letterman, has filled its boots with generation 1 icons (Charizard! Lickitung! More!) and more nostalgia than you can shake a Pokéball at.
And now, as we begin to approach the movie’s release date, the promotional campaign has begun to pick up. Case in point: Today sees the release of yet another new trailer for fans to feast on. Granted, there’s not much in the way of fresh footage here, and it’s likely that WB is becoming a bit more selective with the marketing, perhaps in fear of ruining the big plot twist, but it’s still worth a watch. If only for no other reason than it gives us a look Tim’s “creepy” Pikachu bed.
Already, Detective Pikachu has been testing off the charts in early screenings, while the general consensus seems to be that WB’s love letter to all things Pokémon will easily bring in a global audience through brand equity alone. Which, in other words, means that this might just be one of the summer’s biggest hits.
After all, Nintendo’s powerhouse franchise has been a worldwide sensation ever since first breaking onto the scene more than 20 years ago and by all accounts, Pokémon continues to avoid the common pitfalls associated with franchise fatigue. Let’s just hope Detective Pikachu honors that trend and is able to conquer the worldwide box office charts when it opens later this year on May 10th.