Why is it that Netflix are beginning to release original Pokémon movies now? 2020’s Pokémon Day celebrations were even grander than previous years, largely thanks to the release of Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution on Netflix. This Poké-project is a CG remake of the original Pokémon movie released in 1998, which most fans will remember for its formidable psychic Pokémon villain and the soul-crushing scene where Pikachu watches Ash Ketchum die. The 2020 update isn’t quite a shot-for-shot retelling, but it’s a very close cover, with changes that honor what came before, and the updated animation is what Pokéfans will be discussing most after streaming the new release.
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution was first unveiled in Japan back in July 2019, and enjoyed a very limited run in the U.S. before hitting home media later that year. However, the reanimated adventure’s worldwide Netflix debut will be most fans’ first opportunity to see Mewtwo’s CG glow-up, which is being billed as a Netflix original. The wildly popular streaming service has had a hand in the Pokémon franchise since 2014, when the anime series became available on the site. During that period, a number of Pokémon movies have been produced, including the nostalgic reboot Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You in 2017. Like the latest movie, this effort received a scant theatrical run outside of Japan, but didn’t actually appear on Netflix until early 2019. So why are Netflix getting in on the Pokémon originals now?
Although the mainstream popularity of the Pokémon franchise has fluctuated in western territories over the years, the franchise itself has never eased off the gas, steadily releasing movies, TV shows, games and trading cards. Most of this flew under the radar for casual fans outside of Japan, but 2016 triggered a Pokémon renaissance thanks to the rollout of the Pokémon GO mobile game. Since recognizing the potential of lapsed grown-up fans, the Pokémon franchise has not only been putting out new material (such as the Sword & Shield games) but has also been catering to a nostalgic audience, with Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee and the aforementioned movie series reboot.
This renewed popularity was consolidated further thanks to the release of the first live-action Pokémon movie in 2019, Detective Pikachu. Despite the kooky premise, Detective Pikachu was a runaway success, enthralling fans and performing strongly at the box office. With an emphasis on Pikachu and a story partly inspired by the first Pokémon movie, the value of nostalgia in the franchise became even clearer. Although Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution was in production before Ryan Reynolds’ electric mouse was cleaning up in theaters, the Netflix announcement didn’t come until January 2020, and it’s likely that Detective Pikachu’s success was a factor in Netflix taking a renewed interest in the Pokémon franchise. The blockbuster proved beyond doubt Pokémon’s enduring mainstream appeal and the evergreen nature of Mewtwo’s story in particular.
Another probable factor in Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution being a Netflix original is the streaming platform’s increasingly viability as a release option. Netflix is rapidly becoming a genuine alternative for major movie releases that might not thrive in a traditional theater run. The most recent Pokémon movie release (2018’s The Power of Us) posted a significant drop in box office revenue compared to its predecessor (I Choose You), especially in the U.S. Consequently, an earlier Netflix release perhaps made more sense, rather than a short theater run and a streaming premiere a year or two down the line.
More: Netflix’s Pokémon Remake Makes Changes To Original Mewtwo Strikes Back Movie
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution is currently available on Netflix.
