Pokémon: Wild Card' Sets 2027 Worldwide Release
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- "Pokémon: Wild Card" was announced for a worldwide 2027 theatrical release during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, ending a gap since the franchise's last wide theatrical film.
- A short teaser shows the film starring a trading card game player dressed in a yellow hoodie alongside Mimikyu, a ghost/fairy-type Pokémon introduced in "Sun" and "Moon" that crudely disguises itself as Pikachu.
- Katsuhiko Kitada directs the film, with prior credits on "The First Slam Dunk," "Attack on Titan," and "Naruto: Shippuden."
- CloverWorks — the studio behind "Spy x Family" and "Bocchi the Rock" — is producing, with character design by Akemi Hayashi ("Banana Fish," "Lazarus").
- It is the franchise's first Pokémon movie since 2020's "Secrets of the Jungle" and its first worldwide theatrical release since 2018's "The Power of Us."
- The 2027 date slots into a broader pipeline that includes the launch of 10th-generation games "Winds" and "Waves" next year, following the franchise's 30th anniversary in 2026.
Why it matters: After a nine-year stretch without a worldwide theatrical Pokémon release (the last being 2018's "The Power of Us"), the franchise is entrusting its big-screen return to CloverWorks and director Katsuhiko Kitada — a notably anime-leaning creative team. The 2027 timing bridges the franchise's 30th anniversary in 2026 and the launch of 10th-generation games "Winds" and "Waves," making this a centerpiece of the next Pokémon era.
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