In what might be simultaneously the most unexpected and delightful Pokemon crossover to date, it's been announced that The Pokemon Company is teaming up with British animation studio Aardman (best known for Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run) to create "a special project coming to audiences in 2027."
A short stop-motion teaser of a Pokeball being formed out of blobs of clay has been revealed, which gives precisely nothing away about what the project will be about, but is plenty enough for me to get ridiculously excited about the prospect of Pokemon being brought to life in the animation studio's signature style. In a blog post announcing the collaboration, it's said that Aardman will bring "its unique style of storytelling to the Pokemon universe in brand-new adventures."
Pokémon × @aardmanComing in 2027! pic.twitter.com/DQPbtekKXoDecember 11, 2024
Whether that'll be in the form of an animated series like the wholesome Netflix release Pokemon Concierge (also a stop-motion production), an entire movie, or something else entirely hasn't been confirmed, but regardless, it's definitely one to keep an eye on. The vice president of marketing and media at The Pokemon Company International, Taito Okiura, says in a statement: "This is a dream partnership for Pokemon. 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 Pokemon fans are in for a treat!"
The managing director of Aardman, Sean Clarke, describes it as "a huge honor" to work with Pokemon, and says it "feels incredibly exciting" to combine the beloved series "with our love of craft, character and comedic storytelling," which has me praying that it'll capture the same sort of vibe as Wallace and Gromit. "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," Clarke adds.
As it stands, the only unfortunate thing about this is just how far away the project is from releasing. Right now, I can barely comprehend the idea that we're approaching 2025, so 2027 feels like it's an eternity away. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait – Pokemon already has a character called Wallace in the form of the Hoenn region gym leader/champion, so perhaps it's time to give him a canine friend.
In the meantime, be sure to populate your watchlist with some of our picks for the best anime series.
