For decades, Pokemon could be counted on for one thing, and that was its movie releases. In 1998, the franchise rolled out its first film, and Pokemon never looked back. To date, the IP has 23 films under its belt, and the anime features went live year after year. However, that streak was broken in 2020, and a new Pokemon leak seems to explain the anime’s behind-the-scenes woes.
The update comes from a historic leak that targeted Pokemon earlier this week. A netizen hit up forums online with gigs upon gigs of data allegedly mined from Game Freak, the studio behind the Pokemon video games. The leak, which is reportedly over a terabyte in size, has shared tons of goodies like unused game assets and lore drops. And recently, netizens exploring the leaked files found info about the Pokemon movies in the drop.
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POKEMON AND ITS PROBLEM WITH ANIME MOVIES
According to the leak, Pokemon has been bouncing around ideas for its 24th movie, and its codename is Bauer. The movie began production in 2021, and it has languished there for some years. At some point, Pokemon was meant to drop the movie in 2023, but the release was pushed back indefinitely.
According to the leak, a rough synopsis for the 24th Pokemon movie was included, and it is more serious than others we have seen. The film would have rebooted the Pokemon movie universe in a sense to appeal to lapsed fans. And with a darker story in tow, Pokemon hoped the new movie would appeal to older fans who could pay to see the project in theaters.
Set in modern Kanto, the Pokemon movie would have seen Mew stand in as its main mythical creature. The film would tell the story of two original characters, Light and Akari, as they navigated the difficulties of adolescence. From cyberbullying to suicide, the Pokemon movie would have touched on some serious topics, and the leak suggests execs were not thrilled about the tone. After all, Pokemon has a massive fanbase of kids, and executives were reportedly worried about exposing children to such dark topics.
Of course, Pokemon has toed the line before. The very first Pokemon movie was incredibly dark. From Ash’s sacrifice to Mewtwo’s enslavement, the film dug deep with its themes. Pokemon: The First Movie only benefitted from these bleak moments, so hopefully, execs will rethink their objections here. There is nothing wrong with the Pokemon IP expanding its horizons, and despite having younger fans, little good is done by treating them with kid gloves.
WHAT SHOULD THE NEXT POKEMON MOVIE LOOK LIKE?
It haws been more than four years since Pokemon has posted a movie, and the gap feels wrong. Since 1998, the anime put out a new film yearly, and fans came to rely on the treat. From classic movies to recent reboots, Pokemon has incredible potential at the box office and has since day one. This potential has only increased since 2020 as anime has shot up in global popularity, but Pokemon has yet to test those waters.
With no clear path set for Pokemon‘s new movie, all bets are off about the future. Fans admit the leaked plot of Movie #24 sounds interesting, and it would scratch an itch for older fans. Pokemon fans who watched the anime’s first film in 1998 are now adults, and they are craving movies with substance. Hopefully, Pokemon can meet those expectations while still catering to its young fans. And if kids in 1998 could handle Pokemon: The First Movie, then we should not underestimate what kids today can handle.
What do make of this latest Pokemon leak? Do you think the plot of Movie #24 sounds alright? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
