Annecy 2026: Pokémon and Aardman share new look at ‘Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu’
Skwigly
The Pokémon Company International today unveiled new details about Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, the upcoming stop-motion animation project from Pokémon and Aardman, as part of Aardman’s Lights, Camera, Aardman! panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
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Phil Rynda, Director of Original Animation at The Pokémon Company International, joined Aardman’s Sarah Cox, Chief Creative Director, to share behind-the-scenes insights on the project’s development and creative collaboration. Featuring never-before-seen footage from the pilot and in-development production materials, offering the audiences in attendance an early look at Sirfetch’d and Pichu in action, while teasing further details that fans will no doubt be eager to unpack.
It was also revealed that the brand-new adventure is set in Pokémon’s ‘Galar’ region, which shares many geographical similarities with the real-world United Kingdom – a fitting backdrop for a collaboration with Aardman, one of Britain’s most celebrated animation studios, and the regal personality of Sirfetch’d. The panel also touched the project’s distinctly British sense of humour, which is long associated with many of Aardman’s best-loved productions.
It’s an honour to take part in Aardman’s panel at Annecy and talk about the shared commitment to quality, strong storytelling, memorable characters and a genuine respect for audiences and fans. This project gives us a unique opportunity to tell stories from the point of view of Pokémon, made possible by Aardman’s extraordinary craft, remarkable artistry. Their warmth, and affection for this much-loved Pokémon cast are evident in every brilliantly crafted frame.
-Phil Rynda (Director of Original Animation, The Pokémon Company International)
Sarah Cox, Chief Creative Director at Aardman added:
Aardman are delighted to bring the vivid physicality of Stop Frame animation into the Pokémon world. Director Tom Parkinson and team have created a hand-crafted spin on the wonderful Pokémon we all know and love with comedic storytelling that celebrates the quirks, eccentricities and charms of our heroes as they explore Galar on a delightfully offbeat Quest. Aardman and Pokémon share a strong commitment to creativity and talent on this shared quest of our own to bring joy to audiences across the world.
For future updates on Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, visit pokemon.com