The Original Pokemon Movie Is Getting A CG Remake, Watch The First Trailer

Warner Bros.' live-action adaptation of Detective Pikachu isn't the only Pokemon movie hitting theaters this year. The Pokemon Company has now shared the first trailer for the upcoming animated film Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution, a complete CGI remake of the very first Pokemon movie.

The trailer, which you can watch above, is a near shot-for-shot recreation of scenes from the original Mewtwo Strikes Back, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its North American premiere this year. We also get a glimpse at how the series' iconic trio Ash, Misty, and Brock look rendered in CGI for the first time.

Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution is set to premiere in Japan on July 12. It's unclear if the movie will air in theaters in other parts of the world as well, but the past two Pokemon films--I Choose You and The Power of Us--have both received very limited international theatrical runs. The official Pokemon Twitter account teased "international details [are] coming soon."

Mewtwo also plays a role in the aforementioned Detective Pikachu movie, which premieres on May 10. The Psychic Pokemon could be seen toward the end of the film's latest trailer, which also featured a number of new Pokemon that hadn't previously been seen, such as Snorlax and the disturbingly hairy Ludicolo.

This year is shaping up to be a big one for Pokemon fans. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company also recently pulled back the curtain on Pokemon Sword and Shield, the upcoming "core" RPGs for Nintendo Switch. The pair are slated to launch in late 2019 and take place in the Galar region, which is home to three new starter Pokemon.