Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters courtesy of Warner Bros. and The Pokémon Company, riding the height of Pokémania as the franchise's second theatrical feature in the United States. Built around the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres alongside the guardian Lugia, the film expanded the mythology beyond Mewtwo's debut and cemented the series as a reliable box-office draw for younger audiences. Promotional trailers from this period circulated widely in theaters, building anticipation through glimpses of the legendary creatures central to the story, and surviving 35mm trailer material from this release is scarce compared to the feature print itself.
This piece preserves a trailer moment centered on Articuno and Lugia, two of the film's most sought-after legendary figures. Articuno, the ice-type of the original three legendary birds, carries strong recognition among collectors for its scarcity in early Pokémon media and its role in establishing the franchise's mythic tier of creatures. Paired here with Lugia, the film's guiding legendary presence, the pairing reflects the trailer's purpose: teasing the scale and stakes of the legendary conflict driving the story, offering audiences an early look at characters central to the film's marketing and merchandising push.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release-print strip from the Pokémon: The Movie 2000 trailer.
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, which fits 35mm; the strip holds three frames, each framed in a tall narrow window with black bars between them.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle holes, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no tears or missing holes seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs between the picture and the lower perforations, with a dashed line above it; the gaps between the lower perforations hold grainy square data blocks, consistent with Dolby Digital.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base along both edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no red shift or fading seen.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the faint ring on the middle frame is a camera reflection and is ignored.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot of the same blue and red animated subject, in a style consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
The optical track plus Dolby Digital data blocks fits a late-1990s to early-2000s 35mm release print, consistent with a 2000 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 000071285
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
