Milla Jovovich is going to be chatting to some CGI cat people in the Monster Hunter movie, as it has been confirmed that Pailicos will be appearing in the film.
Palicos are small cat-like humanoids that appear throughout the Monster Hunter video game series. They're almost as iconic as the giant monsters that the player has to hunt. The Palicos are most commonly seen in single-player/two-player games, as hunters are allowed to bring them in as allies when they're short-handed. Palicos might not be powerful fighters, but they can heal hunters, set traps, and distract the monsters while the player catches their breath. Palicos will be joined by dog-like allies called Palamutes in Monster Hunter Rise.
The prominence of the Palicos in the Monster Hunter franchise led many fans to assume that they would be appearing in the upcoming movie. Director Paul W.S. Anderson has confirmed during an interview as part of New York Comic-Con's digital event that Palicos will be part of the film.
According to Anderson, the Meowscular Chef from Monster Hunter World will be appearing in the movie, and that he's the sidekick of the Admiral, who is played by Ron Perlman. The Meowscular Chef will have a flirtatious relationship with Milla Jovovich's character.
The official synopsis of the Monster Hunter movie and the plot points revealed so far haven't mentioned the Palicos role in the story. It's likely that they will just hang around at the base and won't go out on adventures with the main cast. Monster Hunter is already going to be an expensive movie, due to all of the giant monsters and the action scenes required to bring everything to life. Adding tiny cat people to the mix will only bump up the budget even further. As such, the Palicos will likely be comic relief characters in the first movie. If Monster Hunter does well and a sequel is greenlit, then the Palico might have a larger role, depending on the reception to their presence in the original film.
Monster Hunter will be released on December 30, 2020.