Pokémon: The Movie Trailer arrived in 1999 as part of the promotional wave surrounding Pokémon: The First Movie, released theatrically by Warner Bros. in the United States under license from Nintendo and the Pokémon Company. The trailer reel played ahead of feature presentations that year, introducing American audiences to Mewtwo and the franchise's leap from handheld game and television series to the big screen. This period marked the height of Pokémania, and surviving 35mm promotional material from that campaign is scarce, since trailer reels were typically returned, junked, or spliced over once their theatrical run ended.
This cell preserves a moment framed around Mewtwo preparing to attack, placing the genetically engineered Pokémon at the center of the frame alone. Mewtwo stood apart from the franchise's roster as its darker, more formidable figure, a character built for drama and conflict rather than companionship, which made it a natural choice for a trailer meant to signal stakes beyond the usual Pokémon adventure. A trailer cell like this one functioned as advance marketing, a single excerpted frame meant to tease tone and tension before the film proper. For collectors, it represents an early, promotional glimpse of Mewtwo on film stock, distinct from frames drawn from the finished movie itself.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm positive release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, so a 35mm layout; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, rounded-rectangle holes, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with no tears or torn edges visible.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical soundtrack runs between the picture and the lower perforations; no Dolby Digital blocks, DTS timecode or SDDS tracks are visible.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base reads as a pale cyan-blue tint under the backlight, with a saturated blue dye image and no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, splices or cue marks are visible across the three frames.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one continuous shot, and the animated artwork is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
A two-track optical track on a 35mm positive print is consistent with a 1999 theatrical trailer, which would normally carry an analogue optical track.
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 000070011
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
