Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo's partnership with 4Kids Entertainment, riding the first great wave of Pokémania in the West. As the franchise's second theatrical feature, it pushed the series further into mainstream spectacle, pairing the established Pikachu-and-friends formula with a new legendary creature mythology drawn from the games. For American audiences, the trailer itself was a cultural marker, heralding the franchise's attempt to replicate its box office success while introducing a wider public to the deeper lore of Pokémon beyond the television series.
This cell comes from the promotional reel for that film, built around Lugia, the legendary Pokémon central to the story's plot and marketing. As a guardian of the seas in Pokémon mythology, Lugia carried enormous weight for collectors even before the movie's release, serving as the trailer's hook for audiences unfamiliar with the character. A trailer cell like this one represents the industry's early effort to sell the film sight unseen, using glimpses of its most valuable asset. For collectors, this piece marks that promotional moment itself, the first physical trace of Lugia's theatrical debut.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, with three consecutive frames held in this strip.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle holes, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track of two tracks beside the picture, plus Dolby Digital data blocks between the lower-edge perforations; no DTS timecode or SDDS seen.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base at both edges; the dye image shows saturated purples and blues with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-static shot, and the animated artwork is consistent with the animated film on record.
Era check
Optical track with Dolby Digital blocks on a positive 35mm print fits a theatrical release print from around 2000, matching the film on record.
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 000071263
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
