After almost a decade, a brand-new Pokémon theatrical anime movie has finally been announced. However, this new film will officially change the series’ 30-year anime formula into something completely new.
On Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, a new Pokémon theatrical anime movie was revealed as part of the Pokémon World Championships 2026, held in San Francisco, California. Unlike previous films, this new Pokémon anime movie isn’t starring Ash Ketchum, nor is it starring the new Pokémon Horizons protagonists, Liko and Roy.
Instead, the new 2027 anime movie, Pokémon: Wild Card, stars a mysterious Pokémon Trading Card Game player and his Pokémon partner, Mimikyu. The upcoming film not only challenges the series’ “Gotta catch ’em all!” formula, but it’s also being produced by CloverWorks, the anime studio behind Spy x Family, My Dress-Up Darling and The Elusive Samurai.
Pokémon: Wild Card Breaks 30 Years of Tradition With a TCG-Focused Story
“In partnership with Japanese animation studio CloverWorks, Pokémon is excited to present the first feature-length animated Pokémon movie in years,” the official press release reads. “Pokémon: Wild Card tells the exciting story of a Pokémon TCG player and his partner Mimikyu. When the time comes to put their cards on the table, will they have what it takes to achieve their goals?”
Katsuhiko Kitada is directing Pokémon: Wild Card for CloverWorks, with character designs provided by Akemi Hayashi. The film’s release date is currently set for “2027 and beyond.”
The last theatrical Pokémon animated movie was Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle, released in Japan on Dec. 25, 2020. The 23rd Pokémon anime was released when Ash Ketchum and his longtime friend, Pikachu, were still seen as the face of the anime franchise. Currently, Liko and Roy are the new duo protagonists for the Pokémon anime TV series in its loose adaptation of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokémon: Wild Card marks a fascinating pivot for the anime franchise, as its 30th anniversary approaches next year. (Currently, the Pokémon gaming series is celebrating its 30th anniversary.) OLM has produced the mainline anime TV series and films, while other studios have produced more experimental animated shorts and side projects.
However, Pokémon: Wild Card is the first new theatrical anime movie in seven years, and it’s not only being handled by CloverWorks, but it also appears to be the beginning of an entirely new anime franchise. A new direction that ironically mirrors its former rival, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, with its TCG format and older-skewing appeal.
Pokémon: Wild Card isn’t the only new Pokémon animated project that fans, new and old, can look forward to. A new stop-motion animated series, Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ worldwide in 2027. This will be the second stop-motion animated series after Pokémon Concierge, which premiered in December 2023 on Netflix and remains ongoing.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2023-00-00
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
