Ryan Reynolds 'to play Detective Pikachu in Pokemon film'

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, according to Variety.

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.

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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