Which Pokémon film became the franchise’s first worldwide theatrical release?

Pokémon: The First Movie became the franchise’s first worldwide theatrical release.

The film was first released in Japan in 1998 and later distributed internationally under the title Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back. Its main story follows Mewtwo, whose creation and identity crisis lead to a confrontation with human Trainers and other Pokémon.

The movie’s wide release was supported by the television anime, which had already introduced Ash, Pikachu, and the wider Pokémon world to audiences in multiple countries. A theatrical short, “Pikachu’s Vacation,” commonly accompanied the feature outside Japan and added to the event-like presentation.

Pokémon 2000 followed as the next major film, so its title is sometimes incorrectly treated as the first worldwide cinema release. The first movie’s international success demonstrated that Pokémon could extend beyond games, cards, and television into major feature-film distribution, making it a landmark in the franchise’s early global growth.