Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the crest of the franchise's explosive stateside debut. Promotional trailer material from this period circulated through theaters and television spots, building anticipation for a film that would become a cultural touchstone for a generation introduced to Pokémon through its initial animated boom. These early marketing reels are scarce survivors of that launch window, predating the feature's wide release and capturing the franchise at its most commercially electric moment.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer campaign centered on Mew, the rare and mythical Pokémon whose mystique anchored the film's central conflict with its clone, Mewtwo. Mew's dodge places the creature in a moment of evasive action, a beat suited to trailer pacing meant to tease spectacle without resolution. Trailer cells like this hold particular appeal for collectors because they represent the promise of a film rather than its finished narrative, offering a glimpse of Mew as the franchise chose to introduce it to a waiting audience.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
35mm layout: four perforations per frame along both edges, with three full frames visible on this strip.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches with clean edges; the strip is slightly skewed on the panel.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture, with a speckled Dolby Digital data block visible in each gap between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base margins with a neutral to slightly cool dye image; no red shift or fading seen.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices visible across the three frames.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-identical shot, and the pale cat-like creature against blue clouds matches the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: analogue optical tracks plus Dolby Digital blocks fit a 1999 theatrical trailer on 35mm.
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 000070124
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
