Pokémon Is Bringing Its Trading Card Game to the Big Screen in New 2027 Movie

Pokémon is taking one of its biggest games off the card table and onto the big screen.

The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon: Wild Card, a new feature-length animated film centred on a Pokémon Trading Card Game player and Mimikyu, during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco.

The film is scheduled to begin releasing in 2027, marking Pokémon's return to feature animation after several years away from cinemas. The announcement came with a short teaser that gave fans their first look at the new story.

And this time, there is no Ash travelling from town to town.

A Pokémon Movie Built Around the Card Game

The teaser introduces a Pokémon TCG player who is chasing the goal of becoming a champion, with Mimikyu alongside him.

The footage shows the player wearing a yellow hoodie that resembles Mimikyu's familiar disguise, while the Pokémon itself appears in the teaser. The story is expected to put the competitive card game much closer to the centre of the action than previous Pokémon films.

That is a notable change for a franchise that has spent decades building its movie stories around Pokémon trainers, journeys and battles in the wider game world.

The Pokémon Company described the film as a story about an aspiring TCG player and Mimikyu, the Ghost- and Fairy-type Pokémon first introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon.

For a franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, it is also a way of taking something that has become a huge part of Pokémon culture and giving it a different kind of spotlight.

A Familiar Anime Name Is Behind the Film

Katsuhiko Kitada will direct the movie, while Akemi Hayashi is handling character design.

Kitada has worked on projects including The First Slam Dunk, Attack on Titan and Naruto: Shippuden. Hayashi's credits include Banana Fish and Lazarus.

Animation is being handled by CloverWorks, the Japanese studio behind SPY x FAMILY and Bocchi the Rock!. STORY inc. is also involved in planning and production.

That combination gives the project a creative team with experience well beyond the usual Pokémon formula.

There is still plenty that has not been revealed. The Pokémon Company has not announced a specific release date or detailed how the theatrical rollout will work in different countries.

It Has Been Years Since Pokémon Had a New Movie

Pokémon: Wild Card will be the franchise's first new feature-length animated film since Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, which premiered in Japan in 2020 before reaching international audiences through Netflix in 2021.

The last Pokémon movie to receive a theatrical release outside Japan was Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us in 2018, although its international cinema run was limited.

That makes Wild Card a notable return to the big screen for one of the world's most recognisable entertainment franchises.

It is also arriving during a particularly busy year for Pokémon.

The franchise has been marking its 30th anniversary in 2026, while its 2026 World Championships in San Francisco brought together major competitions for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokémon GO, Pokémon UNITE and the video games.

The movie announcement therefore feels less like a random reveal and more like another piece of a very busy year for the franchise.

And Pokémon is not stopping with the movie.

The franchise's tenth-generation games, Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, are also planned for 2027, giving fans another major Pokémon release to look forward to next year.

For now, though, Wild Card is the one getting the big-screen treatment.

The first teaser has shown us a card player, a yellow hoodie and Mimikyu.

The rest of the hand is still being kept hidden.