The animated movie Pokémon: Wild Card was announced during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships.
“For the first time in seven years, a new Pokémon movie is on its way,” The Pokémon Company President and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara said, and highlighted that the movie’s protagonist is a Pokémon TCG player “battling and striving to be a champion,” like those in attendance.
The 39-second teaser trailer shown for Pokémon: Wild Card during the ceremony highlighted the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Mimikyu, and the protagonist at a table with a Mimikyu card played.
Pokémon: Wild Card’s animation will be done by CloverWorks (My Dess-up Darling, Bocchi the Rock!), directed by Katsuhiko Kitada, produced by Story inc., and character designs by Akemi Hayashi. The movie teaser said it’s set to release “starting in 2027” and “beyond,” hinting something more could be coming with the movie.
For everything announced during the 2026 Pokémon World Championships and PokemonXP, check out our roundup. Pokémon: Wild Card may be the only feature-length movie announced, but another animated Pokémon project is making its way to screens in 2027. Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu was announced back in 2025, but news about the series streaming on DisneyXD and more was revealed during a panel at this year’s PokemonXP.
Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Unlocked. She’s currently deep into Pokemon Pokopia. You can sometimes find her on Bluesky.