Pokemon, as a brand, has pretty much been extremely popular ever since it came out two decades ago. With the release of the game Pokemon GO, there is a renewed, feverish love for the property, and that has led Legendary Pictures to fast track Detective Pikachu, a live-action Pokemon movie, which they are hoping to start production on next year. It looks like the studio is eyeing some big name talent to write it, as Guardians of the Galaxy writer Nicole Perlman and Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch are reportedly in talks to pen the script.

According to Variety, the pair are currently in negotiations to write the Pokemon movie, which will be based on the Detective Pikachu game. There have been rumors of a live-action Pokemon movie being in the works for a very long time, with writers like Max Landis having put together various takes on the material. There was even a bizarre trailer that surfaced online back in 2010 that many thought was from a live-action Pokemon movie. Many fans who have been wanting a Pokemon movie are probably surprised that it will center on the new character of Detective Pikachu, but that is the route Legendary is looking to go with it.

While the deal isn't closed, the writers that are reportedly being eyed for the project should be encouraging. Perlman has been writing movies for Marvel for quite some time now. In addition to writing Guardians of the Galaxy, she was brought in to punch up the script for Thor, and has been tasked with writing the highly anticipated Captain Marvel. Hirsch has very different sensibilities, having created the Disney XD cult hit Gravity Falls, as well as writing episodes of the eccentric Cartoon Network series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Even though the two are quite different, their sensibilities seem very complimentary and could be just the blend that a tricky project like a live-action Pokemon movie needs.

Pokemon was first introduced in Japan in 1996 and has absolutely captivated fans of all ages around the world ever since. With more than 279 million video games sold worldwide, 21.5 billion trading cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 19 seasons, Pokemon is easily one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. That being the case, a live-action movie has been kicking around for qutie a while, but Legendary Pictures recently won the rights to take on the project and decided to fast track it.

Very little is known about the actual story that the live-action Pokemon movie will tell, but fans should likely be able to gain some optimism should Perlman and Hirsch officially board the project. There is no word yet on who the studio has in mind for a director, or when they are hoping to release the as of yet untitled live-action Pokemon movie. We will be sure to keep you updated as more details on the project become available. To get some idea of what to maybe expect, you can check out the trailer for the Detective Pikachu game, which was released in Japan earlier this year.