Highlights
- Pokémon Wild Card marks the franchise’s return to feature films after Secrets of the Jungle in 2020.
- The movie will center on a Pokémon TCG player and Mimikyu.
- The film expands the TCG’s animated presence after Path to the Peak and two Game Boy Color games.
Pokémon Wild Card is bringing the Pokémon Trading Card Game to a feature-length animated movie, with an unnamed TCG player and Mimikyu leading the story. The Pokémon Company announced the film on Aug 31, 2026, during the Pokémon World Championships.
The announcement confirmed that Pokémon Wild Card will receive a worldwide release starting in 2027.
Pokémon Wild Card Introduces a New Pokémon Movie Format
The official announcement identifies the protagonists as “the player” and Mimikyu. The official Pokémon YouTube teaser highlights the Pokémon TCG, while the promotional artwork credits CloverWorks as the animation studio, Katsuhiko Kitada as the director, and Akemi Hayashi as the character designer.
The project also marks a new direction for Pokémon’s theatrical animation. Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, released in 2020, remains the most recent film and was the franchise’s 23rd animated feature. It featured Ash and Pikachu, while a planned 24th movie that would have moved beyond Ash was ultimately scrapped.
The TCG Finally Gets a Feature-Length Story
The card game has previously received limited animated representation. Pokémon: Path to the Peak, a four-part miniseries released in 2023, followed TCG player Ava and her Oddish. The TCG has also appeared in two Game Boy Color games, but Wild Card will give the card game its first feature-length animated treatment.
The film’s human lead appears older and more reserved than Ash in the promotional material. Although the character’s name and story details remain undisclosed, the pairing with Mimikyu signals a new direction for the Pokémon movie franchise.
