Disney+ has struck a global distribution deal with The Pokémon Company International, bringing a new stop-motion series from Aardman, “Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu,” to Disney XD and Disney+ in 2027. The deal was announced today at Pokémon XP alongside the series’ first teaser trailer.
It’s the latest sign of Pokémon expanding well past games and trading cards this year, following our coverage of the Pokémon theme park experience heading to Universal Destinations worldwide and the franchise’s 30th anniversary “What’s Your Favorite?” campaign.
“Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu” follows the two title characters through the Galar region as they set out to help and protect other Pokémon, with missions that rarely go according to plan. Aardman, the stop-motion studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, is animating the series, which marks a real departure from the traditional anime style Pokémon fans are used to seeing on screen.
The deal also brings the classic series “Pokémon the Series: The Beginning,” following Ash and Pikachu, to the partnership as its first title. That series is already airing on Disney XD and streaming on Disney+ in the U.S. and select international markets.
Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, tied the new deal to Pokémon’s staying power, saying the franchise has “that rare ability to mean something to longtime fans” while still landing with younger audiences. Phil Rynda, Pokémon’s director of original animation, credited Aardman’s craftsmanship for bringing the Galar region to life, adding that audiences will be delighted getting to know the Sirfetch’d & Pichu and the rest of the cast.
The Pokémon XP panel also introduced the creative team behind the series: director Tom Parkinson, Creative Director of IP Development Nat McKay, and Model Making Creative Lead James Young, all from Aardman. Together they walked through how the team built out Galar’s stop-motion look before debuting the trailer to the crowd.
Aardman is the part of this announcement worth paying attention to. Pokémon has had plenty of animated spinoffs over the years, but handing an entire series to a stop-motion studio with this level of craft is a different kind of bet, and one that could open the franchise up to an audience that’s never been especially drawn to its usual anime style.
