What is the title of the first official live-action film based on the Pokémon franchise?
Answer
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
The first official live-action film based on the Pokémon franchise is Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Directed by Rob Letterman, the 2019 film is set in Ryme City, where humans and Pokémon live together. Tim Goodman teams up with a talking Detective Pikachu to investigate the disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry. Ryan Reynolds provided Pikachu’s voice and motion-capture performance.
The film is loosely based on the 2016 Nintendo 3DS game Detective Pikachu. It was produced by Legendary Entertainment, The Pokémon Company, and Toho, and distributed internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu premiered in Japan on May 3, 2019, followed by its United States release on May 10. Pokémon: The First Movie was earlier, but it is an animated film, so it is not the answer to this live-action question.