Pokémon: Wild Card movie sets 2027 release with TCG teaser
Pokémon: Wild Card is a new animated film centered on a Trading Card Game player and Mimikyu, set for a worldwide theatrical release in 2027. The Pokémon Company announced it at the 2026 World Championships closing ceremony in San Francisco, alongside a short anime teaser.
The reveal marks the franchise's first big-screen return since 2020's Secrets of the Jungle and signals a major push to spotlight competitive TCG culture on film.
Key Takeaways
- Pokémon: Wild Card arrives in cinemas worldwide in 2027, announced at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships.
- The protagonist is a TCG player chasing championship glory, paired with Mimikyu in a yellow hoodie.
- Katsuhiko Kitada directs; CloverWorks produces with character design by Akemi Hayashi.
- It is the first Pokémon theatrical movie since Secrets of the Jungle (2020) and the first worldwide theater release since 2018.
- Pokémon President Tsunekazu Ishihara confirmed the team is actively in production.
What is Pokémon: Wild Card?
Pokémon: Wild Card is an all-new animated feature film built around the Pokémon Trading Card Game rather than traditional video-game adventures. Pokémon President Tsunekazu Ishihara unveiled the project during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships, held in San Francisco.
According to Nintendo Life, the story follows a TCG player striving to become a champion and aims to showcase the competitive spirit of trainers worldwide. A brief teaser introduced the protagonist alongside Mimikyu, the ghost-and-fairy-type Pokémon that disguises itself as Pikachu beneath a yellow rag.
Who is making the Pokémon Wild Card movie?
Director Katsuhiko Kitada brings experience from acclaimed anime including The First Slam Dunk, Attack on Titan, and Naruto: Shippuden. Character design is handled by Akemi Hayashi, whose credits include Banana Fish and Lazarus.
CloverWorks, the studio behind Spy x Family and Bocchi the Rock, will produce the film. Ishihara told audiences the production team is hard at work and eager to bring the project to theaters soon, as reported by Variety.
Why does a TCG-focused Pokémon movie matter now?
The Pokémon franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2026, and Wild Card arrives as the series prepares Winds and Waves, the tenth generation of Pokémon titles, for release next year. For fans tracking major entertainment announcements, this ranks among the biggest celebrity breaking news drops of the week.
Secrets of the Jungle (2020) was the last Pokémon movie produced, reaching theaters in Japan and streaming worldwide on Netflix in 2021. The last film to receive a limited worldwide theatrical run outside Japan was 2018's The Power of Us via Fathom Events. Wild Card breaks that long gap and puts competitive card play—not just monster battles—at the center of the narrative.
What did the Pokémon Wild Card teaser show?
The short anime teaser offered only a glimpse of what's ahead. It featured the TCG player in a yellow hoodie echoing Mimikyu's disguise, standing alongside the ghostly Pokémon introduced in the Sun and Moon generation. No full plot details or voice cast have been confirmed yet.
Fans who caught the World Championships broadcast saw the teaser debut live. Ishihara encouraged viewers to stay tuned as production continues toward the 2027 global release.