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Pikachu and his cohorts were here to stay. Namely that “Pokémania” - a term used to describe the Pokémon boom of the ’90s and early 2000s - wasn’t going anywhere. Diamond and Pearl have long held a special spot in the fandom, because the games make an assertion about Pokémon’s staying power. But this wait has only served to build anticipation. For reference, the time between the original and the remakes for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and Pokémon Gold and Silver, was roughly 12 years, and nine years, respectively. It has been over 15 years since the original Diamond and Pearl were released stateside. Beyond that, these classics’ internet connectivity created a thriving meme culture that lives on today.įans have been waiting a long time for this remake, and anticipation has had time to build. They’re so highly anticipated thanks to a generation of nostalgic players, along with a purist fandom that seeks to bring Pokémon back to what it “should” be.
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These passionate responses reflected a fandom that’s been asking for the remakes of Diamond and Pearl, or “Sinnoh remakes” as they’re called by fans, for years. The responses online ranged from the classic exaggerated “LET’S GoOOOoOOOOOOO,” to condemnation and disgust over its cutesy art style. When The Pokémon Company initially announced the remakes, which are now playable on the Nintendo Switch, the fandom came to life. To many, these titles were touchstones for so many first-time Pokémon players, and laid the groundwork for a new generation of fans. After incredibly popular releases in the ’90s and early 2000s, The Pokémon Company released two games that pushed the series into the modern age - Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released for Nintendo DS in 2006, and were the first that connected to the internet. "We felt, for these characters to be believable and resonate in this day and age, you need to make some changes," Lin told INSIDER.Īhead of the live-action film's release on Blu-ray Tuesday, September 10, Lin spoke with INSIDER about why some of the film's biggest changes were necessary, why Disney's reimaginings of its classic movies aren't blatant cash-grabs, whether or not fans can expect a sequel to the billion-dollar movie anytime soon ( the outlook is good), and more.Pokémon is a deeply beloved franchise, but its long-lasting success was never a guarantee.
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If Disney was going to reimagine its 1992 Oscar-winning movie, Lin says the team was adamant on doing more than just a straight remake. That's the unique position producer Dan Lin found himself in when he was asked to join the live-action adaptation of "Aladdin."Ī longtime Warner Bros.' producer, Lin has worked on a lot of movies you know, ranging from the "Sherlock Holmes" films to this fall's anticipated "It" sequel. Getting the chance to work on a reimagining of a favorite childhood Disney movie sounds like a dream job.
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