The painting that first introduced Star Wars to a global audience nearly half a century ago has just been auctioned for a record-breaking $3.875 million.
This classic work from the Star Wars series was created by artist and poster designer Tom Jung using acrylic and airbrushing techniques – Photo: Heritage Auctions
The painting first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, less than two weeks before Star Wars officially hit theaters.
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In a time when the internet and social media didn’t yet exist, this was the first “window” through which American audiences could see the distant galaxy created by George Lucas.
From newspaper pages, the painting quickly spread to outdoor billboards, magazines, and movie theaters.
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Charles Epting, director of popular culture and historical collections at Heritage Auctions, commented: “For most Americans, this painting was their first glimpse of the Star Wars world. Just one image, and their imagination was sparked.”
According to him, this deep emotional connection contributed to the painting’s record-breaking value. “Just seeing this image, many people’s hearts start racing. It’s a reaction of memory, of childhood, of stepping into a completely different world for the first time,” Epting shared.
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Another equally classic version of the poster, painted by artist Tom Jung
According to Heritage Auctions, Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz kept the original painting in his office for many years before passing it on to his daughter. The Kurtz family then decided to auction the artwork at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, with a starting bid of $1 million. The auction quickly attracted significant attention from collectors worldwide, and the final result far exceeded initial expectations.
The $3.875 million price tag set a new record for the most expensive Star Wars memorabilia ever sold. It also became the highest price ever paid for a movie poster painting at auction. The buyer participated in the online auction and chose to remain anonymous.
Previously, the highest record belonged to Darth Vader’s lightsaber, which sold for $3.6 million.
In terms of composition, the painting almost perfectly recreates the core elements of the original Star Wars story. Luke Skywalker raises his lightsaber behind Princess Leia, with Darth Vader standing majestically in the background.
In another section, X-wing aircraft plunge into space battle while Han Solo and Luke appear in a scene receiving medals at the end of A New Hope. In the lower right corner are the two iconic robots R2-D2 and C-3PO – details added at the last minute at George Lucas’s request.
According to Charles Epting, these two robot characters did not appear in the early promotional prints, but were only added when the official poster and billboard were produced, around June or July 1977 –
“You can clearly see the evolution of the work – they constantly considered what was important, which images best represented the film and were compelling enough for the audience,” he said.
More than just a cinematic memorabilia, the painting is also considered a cultural artifact bearing historical significance. Star Wars, since its debut in 1977 with Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, has become one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.
