Ryan Reynolds 'to play Detective Pikachu in Pokemon film'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Reynolds was recently seen in Life and The Hitman's Bodyguard

Ryan Reynolds has signed on to star as Detective Pikachu in a new live-action Pokemon film, .

The Deadpool star will play the self-styled investigator, who will take on the job of finding a kidnapped parent.

Rob Letterman will direct the film, which starts shooting in London in January.

Justice Smith, shortly to be seen in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Kathryn Newton, from Big Little Lies, will also appear.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Pikachu is one of the most recognisable Pokemon characters

Pokemon was first released as a video game in 1996 and led to an animated TV series and film franchise.

Its merchandise includes trading cards that became a craze in UK schools in the early 2000s.

The Detective Pikachu character was introduced into the Pokemon universe through a 2016 video game.

Legendary Entertainment, the company behind the film, also made Jurassic World and the film version of Warcraft.

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