Pokémon movie coming to North America

[03.11.99] » No One Can Stop Mr. Pikachu: Warner Brothers signs on to release Pokémon.

   Pokémon's inexorable march towards world domination continues. Following hot on the heels of the Pokémon card game and the Pokémon airplane, Warner Brothers recently announced it had acquired the rights to a North American release of the Pokémon movie. Actual translation of the movie will be handled by 4Kids, the same company responsible for the TV series.

   Titled simply Pokémon, the movie actually consists of two separate segments. The first, shorter, segment, entitled "Pikachu's Summer Vacation," continues the exploits of the ever-popular electric mouse. The bulk of the movie lies in the second segment, "Mewtwo Strikes Back," dealing with the saga of Mew and its genetic offspring Mewtwo.

   Pokémon is currently on target for release this summer, with a release during the holiday season the latest possible. The movie set box office records in Japan last summer, and while it's unlikely to repeat such success on the other side of the Pacific, it will surely appeal to the growing legion of Pokémaniacs.