Pokemon: The First Movie arrived in the fall of 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. under a licensing arrangement with Nintendo and Pikachu Project 1999, riding the crest of Pokemania as it swept American children's culture. The film's trailer campaign was central to that push, appearing ahead of countless features to build anticipation for a story built around genetic experimentation and the mythic origins of the Pokemon world. It marked one of the earliest attempts to bring a Japanese animated property to mainstream American theaters at scale, and the marketing materials from this period remain sought after as artifacts of that crossover moment.
This cell preserves a frame from that early trailer reel, centered on Mew, the rare and elusive Pokemon whose mythology anchors the film's plot. Mew's scarcity within the games and the story itself makes any appearance a draw for collectors, since the character functions as a kind of holy grail within the franchise's internal lore. As a trailer piece rather than a scene from the finished feature, this cell represents the promotional apparatus built to introduce Mew to audiences before the film's release, a small physical trace of the campaign that helped launch Pokemon into American theaters.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of Pokemon: The First Movie Trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perfs visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs along one edge; a dual-track (stereo) waveform pattern is visible, consistent with a Dolby Stereo SR release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight blue-grey tint; dye saturation is strong with dominant magenta-purple tones and no apparent fading.
Projection history
No splices or cue marks visible; minor surface evidence consistent with projection use but no heavy scratching observed.
Picture
Positive colour image; the two frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated character and graphic style are consistent with the Pokemon: The First Movie Trailer (1999) on record.
Era check
A dual variable-area optical track on polyester-base stock with strong dye saturation is consistent with a 1999 US theatrical release print of this title.
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, 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.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
