Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, released by Warner Bros. after Nintendo and the anime's Japanese success turned the franchise into a global phenomenon. Built around the television series' popularity, the film paired Mewtwo's origin story with a Pikachu short subject, and its promotional trailer run was a key part of introducing Pokémon to mainstream American audiences beyond the games and cards. For many collectors, this marks the moment the franchise crossed fully into Hollywood marketing, making trailer ephemera from this release a meaningful historical touchstone.
This cell comes from that trailer reel and gathers Ash Ketchum with his core companions, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Ash is the series' central trainer, the figure audiences follow into the Pokémon world, and his pairing here with three of the franchise's most recognizable creatures reflects the team dynamic that defined the show's early popularity. A trailer cell like this one exists to sell an idea quickly, presenting familiar characters together as a promise of the adventure awaiting in theaters, which is precisely why this grouping holds appeal for collectors of early Pokémon film material.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm positive release print of Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape, cleanly punched with no tears or missing holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track with two wavy tracks runs beside the picture, and a dashed blue line sits above it; speckled Dolby Digital data blocks fill the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a pale blue-green tint at the edges; the dye image looks neutral with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size beyond a few tiny specks on the panel; no scratch lines, cue marks or splices visible.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames are near-identical consecutive frames from one shot, and the animated look fits the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on a clear-base positive print is consistent with a 1999 35mm release or trailer print 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 000069771
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
