Ryan Reynolds is to voice Pikachu in Pokemon movie, Detective Pikachu

The role will be ‘motion-capture in nature’

Ryan Reynolds will voice Detective Pikachu (Getty)

After teasing the upcoming Deadpool sequel earlier this week, Ryan Reynolds has made headlines once more, this time for something entirely surprising.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor will next play the titular character in the upcoming live-action Pokémon-based movie, Detective Pikachu.

Sources told the publication the role will be ‘motion-capture in nature’ and that Reynolds’ particular Pikachu is a ‘self-styled investigator who is good at finding things’.

Goosebumps director Rob Letterman will helm the project — which starts shooting mid-January in London — while Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton will also star.

The story starts when Smith’s character’s father is kidnapped (presumably by Team Rocket), leading to the teenager employing the help of Pikachu. Newton — who recently had roles in Big Little Lies, Lady Bird, and Three Billboards — plays a journalist who helps the duo on their quest.

No release date has been confirmed for the movie, which has been scripted by Alex Hirsch and Nicole Perlman with Universal distributing. Meanwhile, Reynolds will next appear in Deadpool 2, which reaches cinemas 1 June.