Ryan Reynolds gushes over a classic Taika Waititi film

Pokémon truly is a global phenomenon.

Starting as a video game in the 90s, it went on to spawn the most successful TV adaptation ever. 

Books, comics, trading cards and games swiftly followed, including 2016's hugely popular Pokémon Go.

These herds of zombies helped Pokémon become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, raking in more than $90 billion to date.

Now it's evolved into a Hollywood blockbuster, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, starring Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu, who's on the hunt for a friend's missing father.

The world's been trying to catch every Pokémon for over twenty years, so The Project sent their resident sleuth - Josh Thomson - to Japan to see if he could catch everything Ryan Reynolds had to throw at him.

"I played rugby for eight years," Reynolds told Thomson, who had a hard time comprehending the notion of A-Lister Reynolds tackling men on the field.

"In Canada, [I was a] right wing. I actually played New Zealand in high school - they crushed us. It was disgusting...It was just embarrassing," Reynolds admitted.

Reynolds, who has been to New Zealand twice, is "about to work with Taika [Waititi]". The acclaimed Kiwi director's credits include Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Reynolds also worked with star of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Julian Dennison, in Deadpool 2.

"And you know Julian, of course?" Thomson asked.

"Yes, the best - who I also found through Taika - Hunt for the Wilderpeople is probably the best movie ever made."

And that's a pretty big claim from one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors.

Watch the video for the full interview.

Newshub.