Pokémon: The Movie Trailer arrived in 1999 as part of the promotional push surrounding Pokémon: The First Movie, released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. in partnership with Nintendo and Pikachu Project 1998. The trailer introduced American audiences to the franchise's leap from television and trading cards to the big screen, building anticipation for the Mew versus Mewtwo storyline at the heart of the film. As one of the earliest pieces of theatrical Pokémon marketing, it holds a place in the history of the brand's crossover into mainstream cinema, a moment many collectors associate with the character's peak cultural presence in the West.
This cell draws from a stand-off set within Mewtwo's stadium, the site of the film's central clash, and preserves a moment tied to Mew, the rare and mythical Pokémon whose mystery fuels the entire narrative. Mew's presence alone makes this piece desirable, as the character represents the origin point of Mewtwo's creation and the emotional core of the story's conflict. A trailer cell like this one captures a promotional fragment rather than a scene from the finished feature, offering collectors a tangible connection to the earliest marketing push for the franchise's theatrical debut.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds four frames, two pairs of repeated images.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with rounded-rectangle holes and no visible tears or torn edges.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track with two tracks runs beside the picture, and a Dolby Digital data block pattern sits in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Upper edge reads, mirrored, "2383 187 341 1 30 KODAK 28 1999 L"; no 'SAFETY FILM' text is readable.
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base with strong, saturated dyes in the picture; no red shift or fading is visible.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; a faint circular reflection on one frame is camera glare, not wear.
Picture
Positive image; frames run in pairs of identical images, a purple glow frame followed by a yellow overhead frame, consistent with a trailer cut and with the film on record.
Era check
Kodak 2383 print stock with a 1999 date code, an optical track and Dolby Digital blocks are consistent with a 1999 release print of this 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 000070178
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
