Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Treasure Planet arrived from Walt Disney Feature Animation in 2002, a sci-fi reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel that blended hand-drawn animation with CG-rendered spacecraft and vistas. It was an ambitious, costly gamble during a transitional era for the studio, released as traditional animation faced mounting pressure from digital rivals. Despite modest box office returns, the film has since earned a devoted following for its visual imagination and emotional core, making it a notable curiosity in Disney's catalog and a point of interest for animation historians tracing the studio's late hand-drawn output.
This cell isolates Jim Hawkins, the restless young protagonist whose journey from disaffected teenager to capable spacefarer anchors the entire narrative. Collectors seek Jim because he carries the emotional weight of the story, representing Disney's attempt at a more grounded, flawed hero within a fantastical setting. A single-character cell like this represents a foundational frame of animation, isolating the figure central to the film's identity, valuable to those assembling character-specific collections or tracing Jim's presence across the production's key visual moments.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Treasure Planet (2002)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area strip; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the bottom edge
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows rich, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record
Era check
The combination of dual bilateral variable-area optical track and Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2002 release date of the film on record
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000062816
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
