Pokémon is marking its 30th anniversary with a major return to the big screen. Pokémon: Wild Card, a new feature-length animated film, has been announced for a worldwide theatrical release in 2027, introducing a competitive Pokémon Trading Card Game player as its central character. The announcement was made by The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, giving the franchise’s milestone year an unexpected cinematic reveal.
The film also ends a long theatrical gap for Pokémon. Wild Card will be the first new animated Pokémon movie since Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle in 2020. Its arrival in 2027 will therefore mark the franchise’s return to animated cinema after roughly seven years, while also taking its movie storytelling into a part of Pokémon culture that has rarely been explored on this scale.
At the centre of Wild Card is a competitive TCG player who is battling to become a champion. Their partner Pokémon is Mimikyu, the Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon known for hiding beneath a handmade disguise resembling Pikachu. The choice gives the film a distinct identity, with its protagonist pursuing success through the Pokémon Trading Card Game rather than following the familiar path of a traditional Pokémon trainer.
The first teaser, which runs for 39 seconds, offers a brief glimpse into this new world. It opens with nighttime city imagery before showing a shimmering Pokémon card and the young protagonist wearing a yellow hoodie designed around Mimikyu. The Pokémon itself is also briefly seen. The teaser closes with a “2027 and beyond” message, confirming that the film is still some distance from its theatrical rollout.
Wild Card is particularly notable for putting competitive TCG culture at the centre of a theatrical Pokémon story. The announcement itself came at the World Championships, where some of the world’s top players had gathered to compete for the title of World Champion. That setting connects the film’s fictional journey with the real competitive community that has helped the Trading Card Game become a major part of the Pokémon franchise.
The creative team brings another significant change. Katsuhiko Kitada is directing the film, with Akemi Hayashi serving as character designer. CloverWorks is handling the animation, while STORY inc. is responsible for planning and production. Kitada’s credits include The First Slam Dunk, while Hayashi is recognised for her work on Banana Fish. CloverWorks, meanwhile, is known for anime projects including Bocchi the Rock! and SPY x FAMILY, raising expectations for a distinctive visual approach to the new Pokémon feature.
The film’s timing is significant beyond the anniversary itself. Pokémon has spent three decades expanding from its video-game origins into animation, cards, merchandise and other forms of entertainment. Wild Card now brings one of those biggest extensions — the Trading Card Game — directly into a theatrical feature, giving the franchise an opportunity to tell a Pokémon story through competition, strategy and the ambition to become a champion.
For now, the exact release date, voice cast and full plot of Wild Card remain under wraps. What is clear is that Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is ending with a theatrical announcement that looks beyond its most familiar formula.
After seven years away from animated cinemas, Pokémon is returning with a story built around the competitive TCG world. With Mimikyu at its side and a new champion to follow, Wild Card could make 2027 a fresh beginning for Pokémon on the big screen.