'Pokémon: Wild Card' movie to be released in 2027
The Pokémon franchise is launching a brand-new animated feature film titled 'Pokémon: Wild Card,' slated for a worldwide release in 2027, marking a significant return to the big screen for the beloved series
The Pokémon franchise is returning to the big screen with a worldwide release in 2027, with a brand-new animated feature, “Pokémon: Wild Card”. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, marking the franchise’s first new film in
The Pokémon franchise is returning to the big screen with a worldwide release in 2027, with a brand-new animated feature, “Pokémon: Wild Card”. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, marking the franchise’s first new film in
The Pokémon franchise is returning to the big screen with a worldwide release in 2027, with a brand-new animated feature, “Pokémon: Wild Card”. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, marking the franchise’s first new film in
The Pokémon franchise is returning to the big screen with a worldwide release in 2027, with a brand-new animated feature, “Pokémon: Wild Card”. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, marking the franchise’s first new film in several years.
A short teaser for the upcoming film was also unveiled, offering a first glimpse of the story. Unlike the franchise’s traditional films, which were centred on Ash and Pikachu and their adventures, the latest film appears to place the Pokémon Trading Card Game at the centre of its narrative.
The teaser introduces a Pokémon TCG player who is striving to become a champion, alongside the Ghost- and Fairy-type Pokémon Mimikyu. While details about the plot remain under wraps, the focus on a competitive card-game player gives the upcoming film a distinctly different direction from previous Pokémon movies.
The announcement also carries added significance for the Pokémon TCG community, coming immediately after the 2026 Pokémon World Championships. The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara highlighted the connection between the film’s protagonist and the competitors taking part in the championship, describing the character as someone battling and striving to become a champion.
“Pokémon: Wild Card” will be the first animated Pokémon movie in several years. The last feature-length Pokémon film was Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, which was released in Japan in 2020 before arriving internationally on Netflix in 2021.
The new film’s announcement comes as Pokémon continues its 30th-anniversary celebrations with projects spanning games, animation and the trading card game. The franchise has also announced other major projects for 2027, including the next generation of Pokémon video games.
For now, “Wild Card” remains shrouded in mystery, with no details yet revealed about its full cast, creative team, plot or exact release date. However, the teaser’s emphasis on the Pokémon TCG suggests that the film could offer a fresh perspective on the franchise when it arrives in 2027.