Pokémon: The Movie Trailer arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's joint effort to carry the Pokémon phenomenon from television screens into American theaters. Riding the crest of a cultural wave that swept through playgrounds, trading card aisles, and Saturday morning programming, the promotional reel served as an early herald of the franchise's cinematic ambitions, introducing moviegoers to a feature that would become a landmark in bringing anime properties to wide theatrical release in the United States.
This cell preserves a moment built around Pikachu, the franchise's defining figure and the character most responsible for Pokémon's reach into mainstream culture. Pikachu Jumping names an action rather than a static pose, suggesting energy and movement central to how this character was marketed to audiences meeting the film for the first time. As a trailer cell, this piece comes from promotional material designed to generate anticipation, making it a document of how Pikachu was positioned to draw audiences into theaters. For collectors, the combination of trailer provenance and Pikachu's central presence gives this cell lasting appeal.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, with three consecutive frames visible on the strip.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches that look clean and uniform across the strip.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a slight blue-cyan tint at the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size; only faint dust-like specks near the soundtrack area.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the Pikachu cartoon imagery fits the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
A two-track optical track with Dolby Digital data blocks is consistent with a late-1990s 35mm release print, which suits a 1999 Pokémon trailer.
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 000069920
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
