Pokémon: Wild Card film confirmed for global 2027 release
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
Pokémon is returning to the big screen with a new animated film, "Pokémon: Wild Card," confirmed for worldwide release in 2027. The project was unveiled at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, accompanied by a short teaser trailer, and represents the franchise's first new theatrical feature since 2020's "Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle." It follows the last truly global cinema release, 2018's "Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us," which only had a limited run via Fathom Events outside Japan.
The teaser focuses on a trading card game player in a yellow hoodie alongside the ghost/fairy-type Pokémon Mimikyu, a character introduced in "Sun" and "Moon" that disguises itself as Pikachu beneath a ragged costume. Katsuhiko Kitada, whose credits include "The First Slam Dunk," "Attack on Titan" and "Naruto: Shippuden," will direct, with character design from Akemi Hayashi ("Banana Fish," "Lazarus") and production by studio CloverWorks, known for "Spy X Family" and "Bocchi the Rock." The film arrives after the franchise's 30th anniversary in 2026 and ahead of next year's video game releases "Winds" and "Waves," the 10th generation of Pokémon titles.
- "Pokémon: Wild Card" film confirmed for worldwide release in 2027
- Announced at 2026 Pokémon World Championships with teaser trailer
- First new Pokémon film since 2020's "Secrets of the Jungle"
New here? Start with this
Pokémon is a globally popular franchise built around fictional creatures that trainers catch, train and battle, spanning video games, a long-running anime, and a trading card game. It began in 1996 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2026, and periodic animated films have long been part of the brand, though none have reached cinemas since 2020's "Secrets of the Jungle."
"Wild Card" is the newly announced next entry in that film series, notable for putting the focus on a trading card game player rather than the usual video-game trainers, alongside Mimikyu, a Pokémon known for disguising itself as the franchise's mascot, Pikachu. It is being made by CloverWorks, an animation studio with a track record on other well-known anime and films, under director Katsuhiko Kitada.
The announcement matters because it signals a renewed push for Pokémon on the big screen after a lengthy gap, timed around the franchise's anniversary and ahead of new video games due the following year, at a moment when the brand remains one of the most commercially significant in entertainment.
More coverage
- Nintendo Life — Pokémon's Trading Card Game Is Getting A Movie In 2027
- IGN — Pokemon: Wild Card the Movie Announced for 2027