Detective Pikachu Returns Director Addresses Movie Differences, Possible Third Game (Exclusive)

When the live-action movie Pokemon: Detective Pikachu released in theaters, it was based on a game that debuted on Nintendo 3DS. Both works centered on Tim Goodman, the son of a detective named Harry. Harry had mysteriously gone missing, and the only clue to his location was a Pikachu that only Tim could understand. This story proved to be the driving force behind the movie and game, though there were a number of major differences between them. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Detective Pikachu Returns director Yasunori Yanagisawa spoke about the differences between these two worlds. Through a translator, Yanagisawa discussed the potential challenges following the movie's box office success.

Detective Pikachu: The Movie vs. The Games

The biggest difference between Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and the original Detective Pikachu game is that the movie featured a fairly definitive ending. In that ending, it was revealed that the spirit of Harry Goodman was inside of his partner Pikachu. The conclusion saw the two beings separated by Mewtwo, leading to a reunion between Tim and his father. When Detective Pikachu Returns was first announced for Nintendo Switch, The Pokemon Company stated that the two stories would be quite different. With Detective Pikachu Returns, there will be a challenge for the game's developers, as a wider audience is now likely familiar with that ending.

"...like you said, the movie itself had a conclusive ending. However, we like to see as this game, having Detective Pikachu Returns having a very original story that is separate from the movie. It would be great if fans can play this game as the continuation of Tim and Pikachu's adventures," said Yanagisawa.

While Yanagisawa did not play a role in the film's development, the director did indicate that it "was really great to see the story and characters that he was involved in the creation of to become a moving picture."

Detective Pikachu 3

The ending of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu was fairly definitive, leaving little in the way of loose ends to pick up on for a sequel. While Yanagisawa did not go into specific detail about the ending for Detective Pikachu Returns, the director did indicate that he has a desire to see a third game in the series, or possibly more.

"For Detective Pikachu Returns, there is a nice cutoff point with Tim and Detective Pikachu's story, but there is a desire to grow Detective Pikachu's story. We're hoping that there's some continuation," said Yanagisawa.

The fact that Yanagisawa is hoping to continue Detective Pikachu's story should give fans an idea just how different the ending of Detective Pikachu Returns might be when compared to the live-action movie. Hopefully the developers will be able to create an ending that proves satisfying to fans of both the original game and the movie, while also leaving the door open for the future.

Do you plan on checking out Detective Pikachu Returns? What did you think of the live-action movie? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!