Tap to enlarge
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, released by Warner Bros. under license from Nintendo and Game Freak at the height of Pokémania, when the franchise was expanding from handheld games and a television series into a theatrical event. The promotional trailer that preceded it was a crucial piece of that marketing push, introducing audiences to Mewtwo's story while leaning on Pikachu as the franchise's most recognizable ambassador. This 35mm trailer cell survives as a physical artifact from that distribution era, before digital projection replaced reels in most theaters.
This cell, called Pikachu Attacks!, isolates a single promotional beat built around the character collectors prize above nearly every other figure in the Pokémon universe. Pikachu's presence in the earliest American theatrical marketing makes this cell desirable to anyone tracing the brand's crossover from television into cinema. A trailer cell like this one was struck to entice ticket buyers, offered in theaters and through promotional channels rather than as part of the finished feature itself. The word "attacks" points to the energetic, action-forward tone that studios used to sell the film to a young, eager audience.
Consistent with a 35mm release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
