By Jon Scarr
The Pokémon Company has announced Pokémon: Wild Card, a new animated film built around the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The movie is heading to theatres in 2027 and pairs a Pokémon TCG competitor with Mimikyu for a very different kind of Pokémon story.
A first teaser is also out now. While it doesn't tell us much about the larger plot yet, putting the Pokémon TCG at the centre immediately separates Wild Card from the trainer adventures we usually see in Pokémon animation.
Pokémon TCG Takes Centre Stage
Pokémon: Wild Card follows a Pokémon TCG competitor alongside Mimikyu. That may sound like a simple change, but it's an interesting direction for a franchise where the physical card game has traditionally existed beside the animated stories rather than driving one of them.
The Pokémon TCG has been part of the franchise for decades, with its own competitive scene and huge community. Wild Card is taking that world and building a feature-length animated story around someone who actually competes in it.
Mimikyu is an equally interesting choice as the Pokémon sharing the spotlight. We don't know yet how the two meet or what brings them together, so there are still plenty of details being kept under wraps.
CloverWorks Is Animating Pokémon: Wild Card
Katsuhiko Kitada is directing Pokémon: Wild Card, with Akemi Hayashi handling character design. CloverWorks is responsible for animation production, while STORY inc. is handling planning and production.
Pokémon: Wild Card is scheduled for theatres in 2027. An exact release date, international rollout, and cast have not been announced.
I'm especially curious to see how far Wild Card goes with the competitive side of the Pokémon TCG. There is a lot more to that world than opening packs and collecting cards, and making a competitor the lead creates room to explore something Pokémon animation hasn't built an entire movie around before.
For now, the teaser is our first look at that direction. Pokémon: Wild Card is coming to theatres in 2027, with more details expected as the movie gets closer.
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