The Powerpuff Girls Movie was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2002, expanding Craig McCracken's Cartoon Network series into a theatrical origin story. It arrived at a moment when television animation was pushing into feature film territory, proving that a show built for short-form episodes could carry a full-length narrative without losing its charm. The movie traced how Professor Utonium's three chemically-altered creations became Townsville's protectors, and its marketing push, including trailers like this one, helped introduce the trio to audiences beyond the small screen.
This cell preserves a trailer moment featuring Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup together, the three leads whose dynamic defines the franchise. Trailer cells like this one circulated as promotional material ahead of release, meant to establish the characters and their world before the full story unfolded. For collectors, a piece showing all three girls united holds particular appeal, since it captures the ensemble at the heart of the property rather than an isolated figure. It represents the film's earliest public face, the introduction audiences received before ever setting foot in the theater.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002).
Gauge
35mm, with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds three full frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched and uniform in size.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track of several parallel lines runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Faint reversed text near the top edge, partly legible as 'SAFETY' or 'FILM'; no key numbers or other codes legible.
Base & colour
Light blue-cyan tinted base along the edges; dye image looks neutral with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
A few fine hairlines and specks near the right frame; no splices, cue marks or heavy scratching seen at this size.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-static shot, and the cartoon characters match the Powerpuff Girls film on record.
Era check
The analogue optical track plus Dolby Digital data blocks on a blue-tinted base fits a 35mm release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2002 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 000071067
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
