Disney and The Pokémon Company International have struck a distribution deal that will bring both a new and a classic animated series to Disney+.
The streamer, and sibling cable channel Disney XD, have picked up a stop-motion series called Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu for a 2027 premiere. The deal also includes rights to Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, the first animated series featuring Ash, Pikachu and the rest of the foundational Pokémon characters. It’s now streaming on Disney+ and began airing on Disney XD earlier in August.
Disney and The Pokémon Company announced the deal Friday at Pokémon XP, a fan convention in San Francisco.
Aardman, the acclaimed studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, is making The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu with The Pokémon Company. Aardman’s team for the show includes director Tom Parkinson, creative director —IP development Nat McKay and model making creative lead James Young.
“Pokémon has that rare ability to mean something to longtime fans while continuing to feel completely relevant to young audiences today,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family. “Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu brings Aardman’s signature stop-motion artistry with a bold, playful new perspective to this beloved world, giving audiences a fresh way to experience the characters they know and love.”
The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu will follow the two characters through the Galar Region as they seek to help and protect the Pokémon living there.
“These stories, full of adventure and heroism, all told from the perspective of Pokémon is made even more exciting through the lens of the incredible filmmakers at Aardman,” said Phil Rynda, Pokémon’s director of original animation. “Audiences will be delighted getting to know the Sirfetch’d & Pichu, and wonderful cast of Pokémon, featured in this series. Aardman has brought Galar to life in a way that makes you feel like you can smell the air, touch the tree bark, and want to adventure alongside our series heroes.”