Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Vulpix, Togepi and the ever-present Pikachu – all icons of Pokémon Gen 1. And they’re all here in this newly-released promo image for Pokémon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution.
Pitched as a CGI recreation of the ’98 classic, Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution is fast approaching its Japanese debut this summer – July 12th, to be precise – and what better way to drum up excitement than to release a nostalgic picture of Pikachu and friends in battle mode.
It’s just a promo image, of course, though we fully expect The Pokémon Company to piggyback off the imminent release of Detective Pikachu, which launches worldwide in May and drags the lush, neon-drenched streets of Ryme City into the realm of live-action. Chances are we’ll see a new trailer for Pokémon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution in the coming weeks, then, but for now, this sneak peek will have to do.
If nothing else, it’s certainly shaping up to be a faithful rendition of the ’98 gem, so brace yourself for an overwhelming burst of nostalgia come July.
July 12th is the date Pokémon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution is scheduled to release in Japan, though there’s currently no mention of when the CGI remake will make its way west. It’ll likely be some time in 2019 though, given the Pokémon franchise will soon be firing on all cylinders what with the back-to-back release of Detective Pikachu and Sword and Shield, the newly-unveiled titles for Nintendo Switch.
Rob Letterman and Warner Bros. get the ball rolling with Detective Pikachu in May before Pokémon Sword and Shield close the book on what will be another historic year for the Poké franchise this fall. Just imagine what 2020 will hold…
