Released in 1999 by Warner Bros. in North America under license from Nintendo and Shogakukan, Pokémon: The Movie brought the global phenomenon to theaters at the height of its first wave of popularity. The promotional trailer that preceded it was part of a wider marketing push that introduced American audiences to the franchise's cinematic ambitions, pairing television-bred familiarity with the scale of a theatrical release. For a generation of young viewers, this trailer served as an early signal that Pokémon had crossed into a new cultural register, making it a touchstone for collectors tracing the brand's rise.
This cell preserves a moment built around Ash Ketchum, the series' central trainer and the figure most identified with the franchise's identity. As a trailer image, it belongs to the promotional material meant to draw audiences into theaters, offering a glimpse of the protagonist ahead of the full feature. For collectors, Ash's presence anchors the piece firmly within the franchise's foundational era, representing the character at the center of the story the film was built to tell, and standing as a direct artifact of how the movie was first presented to the public.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-corner punches with clean edges and no visible tears or missing holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track, two tracks, runs beside the picture; the perforation gaps on the sound side show no Dolby Digital data blocks.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear to slightly cool base with a light blue tint at the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading.
Projection history
A fine horizontal hairline runs across the frames; otherwise no scratches, cue marks or splices are seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-identical shot, and the animated style matches the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
The optical track and saturated dye image fit a late-1990s 35mm release print, and the animation suits the 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 000070070
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
