Star Wars’ original poster painting sells for record USD 3.875 million at auction
Heritage Auctions spotlighted a rare piece of cinematic history as collectors vied for original artwork tied to the early legacy of George Lucas’s space saga
The painting that introduced “Star Wars” to the world nearly 50 years ago—and was reproduced in an iconic movie poster—sold at auction on Wednesday for USD 3.875 million, marking the highest-selling piece of memorabilia from the film franchise.
Star Wars franchise
The acrylic and airbrush painting by the artist and movie poster designer Tom Jung first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, a little less than two weeks before the space epic created by George Lucas opened. It also adorned billboards, magazine ads and theatre programmes.
"Star Wars" is one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time since its 1977 debut, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. The original was followed by sequels and prequels, and spawned offshoot books, movies and other series. Its fans span the globe.
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"For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse of the galaxy far, far away," said Charles Epting, the director of pop culture and historical consignments at Heritage Auctions.
The legacy of the painting
"Star Wars" producer Gary Kurtz kept the original painting and hung it on his office wall before passing it down to his daughter. The Kurtz family later put the work up for sale at the Dallas headquarters of Heritage Auctions, where bidding started at USD 1 million.
The sale set records for the highest-selling piece of memorabilia from the film franchise and in general, for any movie poster artwork, Epting said. The buyer, whose winning bid came in through the website, has chosen to keep his identity private.
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Previously, the highest price for franchise memorabilia was Darth Vader's lightsaber, which sold at auction for USD 3.6 million.
One side of the painting shows Skywalker holding up a lightsaber behind Princess Leia. Darth Vader looms over them in the background. On the other side, a team of X-wing starfighters is launching an attack. Han Solo and Skywalker are depicted receiving medals.
Memorabilia: A part of history
In the lower right-hand corner were R2-D2 and C-3PO, which were added at the last minute, Epting said. The droids were absent from the early reproductions of the painting and later appeared when the movie poster and the billboard were produced. The exact date of the latter is still unknown, but it was around June or July 1977, he said.
"You can watch the evolution of this piece and how they were figuring out what was important to include, what are we going to represent, what's going to draw people in," he said.
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The painting is not just film memorabilia but is also a cultural artefact and part of American history, Epting said. The emotional connection that people form with "Star Wars" movies also explains the sale price, he said. "Anyone who's seen these movies or the marketing materials around it — when you see this piece, your heart starts racing," he added.