A live-action Pokemon series is heading to Netflix

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Lucifer showrunner Joe Henderson is said to be bringing Pokemon to life on Netflix

Detective Pikachu
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

A live-action Pokemon Netflix series is in the works from Lucifer showrunner Joe Henderson, reports Variety.

No plot details have been revealed just yet, but Henderson is reportedly attached to write and executive produce the series. The writer and producer also has credits on Hulu's 11.22.63 series, as well as Graceland and White Collar.

The project is said to be in the early stages of development, so it's tough to paint a picture of the series at this point. For what it's worth, Variety compares it to 2019's Detective Pikachu, the live-action/animation hybrid movie starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular sleuthing Pokemon. 

To be clear, the Pokemon Netflix series is its own, independent production, but it sounds like the animation style will be similar to Detective Pikachu. At the very least, it's safe to assume the upcoming live-action Pokemon Netflix series will similarly blend live-action with animation, as it's pretty tricky to find real Pokemon roaming around the wild (unless you're playing Pokemon Go).

Of course, Netflix is already the streaming home for the Pokemon series, with an array of Pokemon movies and shows already featured in its catalog. There's the classic Indigo League from 1997 where you can relive Ash's fateful team-up with Pikachu, and then you've got the most recent season – the 23rd, believe it or not – Pokemon Journeys, which wrapped its run on Netflix with the final 12 episodes in March. Of course, you'll also find a handful of Pokemon movies on Netflix, including Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You! and Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.