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 big-budget gamble that fused hand-drawn character work with digital effects to reimagine Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure as interstellar swashbuckling. Released during a period when traditional animation was losing ground to CGI features, it stands out now as one of the studio's most visually ambitious efforts, prized by collectors for its blend of classic technique and futuristic design even though it underperformed at the box office on release.
This cell pairs Jim Hawkins, the restless young protagonist whose journey anchors the whole story, with Morph, the small shapeshifting companion who provides comic relief and warmth throughout the voyage. Their scenes together represent the emotional core of the film, the bond between a searching teenager and a creature offering unconditional loyalty. A piece like this, showing the two side by side, appeals to collectors who want the defining relationship of the picture rather than a single isolated figure, capturing character chemistry central to Disney's story.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Treasure Planet (2002)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, and a DTS timecode stripe is also visible, consistent with a tri-format release print
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; faint edge markings are present but cannot be quoted with certainty
Base & colour
Base appears with a light cyan tint typical of modern safety stock; dye image colours appear saturated and neutral with no visible red shift or fading
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks seen
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated character style is consistent with the Disney feature on record
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and DTS timecode stripe is consistent with a major studio 35mm release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2002 release date 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 000062823
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
