Italian
The Pokémon Company are teaming up with stop-motion animation studio Aardman for a new mystery collaboration.
Billed only as a “special project,” it’s unclear whether it will be a feature film, series or something else entirely but promises that Aardman will bring “their unique style of storytelling to the Pokémon universe in brand-new adventures.”
It is set to be released in 2027.
“This is a dream partnership for Pokémon. Aardman are masters of their craft, and we have been blown away by their talent and creativity. What we have been working on together ensures our global Pokémon fans are in for a treat!” said Taito Okiura, VP of marketing and media at The Pokémon Company International.
Sean Clarke, managing director of Aardman, added: “It’s a huge honour to be working with The Pokémon Company International — we feel sincerely privileged to be trusted with bringing their characters and world to life in a brand-new way. Bringing together Pokémon, the world’s biggest entertainment brand, together with our love of craft, character and comedic storytelling feels incredibly exciting. Aardman and TPCi share an emphasis on heritage and attention to detail as well as putting our fans and audiences at the heart of what we do, which we know will steer us right as we together create charming, original and new stories for audiences around the world.”
Popular on Variety There’s no word as to where the new project will be made available but both The Pokémon Company and Aardman have deals with Netflix. Last year “Pokemon Concierge,” a unique stop-motion series from The Pokemon Company, premiered on the streamer, which is also the exclusive distributor for CGI animated series “Pokemon Horizons” outside of Japan. Netflix and Aardman have also collaborated on a number of projects, including last year’s “Chicken Run” sequel “Dawn of the Nugget.”
