The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) brought Cartoon Network's hit series to theaters, with Craig McCracken expanding the origin story of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup into a feature-length release. Produced during the height of the show's popularity, the film served as both a prequel and a culmination of the trio's cultural reach. Promotional trailers circulated widely ahead of release, giving collectors a chance to own pieces of the marketing push that introduced the Girls to a broader audience beyond the small screen.
This cell comes from that trailer reel, pairing two of the three Powerpuff Girls: Blossom, the self-appointed leader known for her strategic mind, and Bubbles, the gentle and often underestimated member of the group. Trailer cells like this one hold appeal for collectors because they capture the film's early promotional identity rather than a finished scene, offering a glimpse of how the characters were presented to audiences before the movie's debut. Pairing these two specific Girls reflects the series' emphasis on teamwork and individual personality within the trio.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release-print trailer strip for The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with rounded-rectangle holes; none torn or missing.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with a Dolby Digital data pattern visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
A line of edge text along the top margin reads backwards, apparently 'FUJI COLOR'; no key numbers or safety-film text are legible.
Base & colour
The base shows a pale blue-green tint at the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, splices or cue marks are visible on these three frames.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-static shot, and the cartoon characters and heart-shaped background are consistent with The Powerpuff Girls Movie trailer.
Era check
Optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on Fuji-marked stock is consistent with a 2002 35mm release print 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 000071093
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
