Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 through Warner Bros., riding the peak of Pokémania as the franchise crossed from television and trading cards into American theaters. Its trailer campaign was a cultural event in its own right, screened ahead of countless films and broadcast repeatedly to build anticipation for a story built around a lab-created Pokémon grappling with its own origins. For a generation of young viewers, this marked their first theatrical exposure to the series, making the promotional material as historically significant as the feature itself.
This cell preserves a frame from that trailer, centered on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose introduction reframed the franchise's stakes with themes of identity and purpose. As the film's central antagonist turned tragic figure, Mewtwo remains one of the most sought-after characters among collectors, prized for its rarity in promotional materials predating the film's wide release. A trailer cell like this captures an early public glimpse of the character, produced solely to generate excitement before audiences ever saw the completed film.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds four frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as two bilateral variable-area tracks; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge
Edge print
Edge print reads mirrored as '2383 189 022 0 18 20 K•ODAK 1999', indicating Kodak 2383 print stock with a 1999 date code
Base & colour
Base shows a cool blue-cyan tint consistent with Kodak 2383 stock; dye image appears intact with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate
Picture
Positive colour image; all four frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot and the animated character and spacecraft elements are consistent with the Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999)
Era check
Kodak 2383 print stock with a 1999 edge date, combined with Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks and bilateral variable-area optical tracks, is fully consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print
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
