Disney+ commissions Aardman’s Pokémon stop-motion series for 2027
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Disney+ has commissioned Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a stop-motion series made by Aardman, under a global distribution agreement with The Pokémon Company International. Due in 2027, it will air on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+, bringing Aardman’s distinctive animation style to a major Pokémon production.
The deal’s first release is Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, which is already available on Disney XD and Disney+. The new series follows Sirfetch’d and Pichu on a quest across the Galar region to help other Pokémon, with their frequently unsuccessful missions leading to comedy, danger, rivalries and friendships; it is directed by Tom Parkinson and produced by The Pokémon Company International with Aardman.
- Disney+ orders Aardman’s Pokémon stop-motion series for 2027
- Sirfetch’d and Pichu will lead a Galar-region adventure
- Classic Pokémon episodes already launch the distribution deal
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Pokémon is a long-running Japanese entertainment franchise built around people training and caring for fictional creatures, known as Pokémon. It began as a video game series in the 1990s and has since grown to include television programmes, films, card games and merchandise around the world.
Aardman is a British animation studio best known for hand-made stop-motion films and series such as Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. Stop-motion involves physically moving models a little at a time and photographing each movement to create animation.
Disney+ is Disney’s subscription streaming service, while Disney XD is one of its children’s television channels. The Pokémon Company International manages the franchise outside much of Asia, and distribution deals such as this decide where viewers in different countries can watch Pokémon programmes.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters can reasonably welcome the commission as an investment in distinctive, family-friendly animation and a chance to pair Aardman’s craftsmanship with a globally loved franchise. Disney+ distribution may give the series substantial international reach, while the partnership could introduce younger audiences to stop-motion and create work for specialist British creative talent. They may also see the project as a commercially sensible way to expand Pokémon storytelling beyond familiar formats.
The case against
Critics can reasonably worry that exclusive streaming and Disney-controlled distribution further concentrate major children’s franchises within a small number of powerful platforms. They may question whether a corporate tie-up risks making access dependent on subscriptions and whether Pokémon’s established identity could be diluted by prioritising brand expansion over creative independence. Some may also prefer Aardman’s limited resources to be directed towards original work rather than another adaptation of an already dominant global property.
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Originally published by Deadline as “Disney+ Greenlights New Pokémon Stop-Motion Series As Part Of Global Distribution Deal”.