The Pokémon Company just dropped the first teaser for its next animated feature, Pokémon: Wild Card, and yes, I watched it three times before sitting down to write this. We also got a release window: 2027, worldwide. You can catch the full rundown over at AOL's coverage.

So, the confirmed stuff. The film is being produced by CloverWorks, the studio behind some of the most gorgeous animation coming out of Japan right now, and that's a genuinely exciting get for the franchise. The story follows a Pokémon Trading Card Game player and, this is the part that sold me, a Mimikyu. Seven years of waiting for a new theatrical Pokémon movie and they hand the spotlight to the little ghost who just wants to be loved. I'm in.

That seven-year gap matters, by the way. Reports are framing Wild Card as the first new theatrical Pokémon movie in that long, which suggests The Pokémon Company sees real scale in this one. I'm treating the theatrical status as coming from those reports rather than the teaser itself, because the announcement I've seen confirms the 2027 window and the production details, and I'd rather be careful than fast.

What I like here is the ambition. An original story built around the TCG, one of the most beloved corners of the whole Pokémon universe, feels like a studio betting on something with actual heart instead of just another Legendary-of-the-month outing. After the year animation has had at the box office, I've spent most of 2026 learning not to bet against these movies, and I'm not starting now.

That's about all the hard info we've got. No exact date beyond the 2027 window, and I'm not going to guess at what else is or isn't coming, because a first teaser in this franchise always leaves more questions than answers. Expect the drip feed to continue over the coming months.

I'll have more as details land. Until then, go watch the teaser. Even if you haven't caught a Pokémon movie since the original Mewtwo one, old habits die hard.