Pokémon: Wild Card — The First Pokémon Movie in 7 Years Is About a Card Game Player
The Pokémon Company has announced Pokémon: Wild Card, a new animated feature film set for a worldwide theatrical release in 2027. Revealed during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, it is the first Pokémon feature film in roughly seven years. Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara framed the moment simply: for the first time in seven years, a new Pokémon movie is on its way.
What makes the announcement unusual is the premise. Instead of following a trainer catching Pokémon across a region, Wild Card centers on a Pokémon Trading Card Game player chasing a championship. For a franchise whose films have always been built around battles in the wild, putting the card game at the heart of a theatrical story is a genuine first.
A Pokémon Movie Built Around the Trading Card Game
According to the reveal, the story follows a competitive TCG player striving to become a champion, aiming to capture the competitive spirit shared by fans around the world. It is a nod to a side of the franchise that has quietly become one of its biggest: the trading card game has driven record-breaking demand in recent years, and a film that treats card battles as the main event acknowledges just how central collecting and competing have become to Pokémon fandom.
The last Pokémon feature film, Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, opened in Japan in 2020 before reaching international audiences in 2021. A seven-year gap between theatrical films is a long stretch for a franchise this size, which is part of why the Worlds crowd reacted the way it did.
What We Know: Staff, Studio, and Mimikyu
Alongside the announcement, The Pokémon Company released a teaser introducing the card-playing protagonist and their partner Pokémon — Mimikyu, the shy, rag-draped creature that has become a fan favorite since its debut. Choosing Mimikyu as the film's face is a deliberate signal that Wild Card is leaning into character and personality rather than legendary spectacle.
Reported staff details point to an experienced team. The film is directed by Katsuhiko Kitada, with character designs by Akemi Hayashi and animation production by CloverWorks, the studio behind a string of acclaimed modern anime. Planning and production are credited to STORY inc. The Pokémon Company says the team is already hard at work, with more details to follow ahead of the 2027 release.
Why This Matters for Collectors
For collectors, a movie about the card game is a meaningful shift. Pokémon films have historically sparked waves of merchandise — promo cards, prize figures, plush, and capsule toys tied to the featured Pokémon. A story literally about the TCG is likely to blur the line between "movie merch" and "card product" even further, and Mimikyu's starring role makes it a safe bet for figures, gashapon, and card-game promos as 2027 approaches.
If you collect Pokémon, this is a good moment to think about two shelves at once: the cards themselves and the physical Pokémon collectibles that surround them. Mimikyu in particular tends to move fast whenever it gets a spotlight, so early demand is worth watching.
Getting ready for Wild Card? Browse the latest Japanese Pokémon TCG products at Akibato to build out your deck, and check the Pokémon figures and collectibles collection for Mimikyu and friends — all shipped worldwide from Japan.
Sources
- Inven Global — New Pokémon feature anime film 'Pokémon: Wild Card' set for 2027 release, first in 7 years
- Nintendo Life — Pokémon's Trading Card Game Is Getting A Movie In 2027
- Variety — 'Pokemon: Wild Card' Movie Sets 2027 Release Date, Drops Anime Teaser
- Collider — New Pokémon Movie Officially Confirmed