We’ve all seen movie posters, whether proudly encased outside the theater or hanging from a teenager’s wall. A great movie poster is memorable, iconic at best. Consider the amount of times you’ve encounteredUma Thurman glaring at youas she’s laying on her stomach smoking a cigarette. Movies are so much more than an entertaining experience, they are a part of our culture. The reproduction of movie posters can perpetuate a film’s relevancy, total earnings, and cultural impact long after their time in the box-office. You’ve seen the recurring pieces of movie history from wall to wall in your lifetime, you may even have a few familiar posters from your favorite films hung up at home or in your office.
What about uncommon posters? Not the ones you’d find in a department store or a college dorm, but those you might find on display at a museum or in the home of a millionaire. What distinguishes a true collector of movie posters from the average consumer is an emphasis on authenticity. Collectors aren’t interested in reproduced film posters, they are seeking the original prints or as close to original as possible to find. Based on thestudy by Top Dollar, here are 10 movie posters from the last 75 years that will one day be worth a fortune.
10Jaws - $14,400
WhenJawscame out in 1975, Universal pulled out all stops on marketing. The studio reportedly spent $1,800,000 solely to marketthe film by Stephen Spielberg. Spielberg’s movie was a screen adaptationbased on a novelby Peter Benchley by the same name. Since so much thought was put intomarketingJaws, both the novel and movie shared a ubiquitous logo to tie the intellectual property together. The artwork, created by Roger Kastel, took over six months to reach a final design. It was difficult to make the iconic shark scary enough. Now the image is easily recognizable all across the world.
The menacing shark with its sharp teeth approaching the lone swimmer at the water’s surface is now one of the most iconic movie posters of all time. An original run Jaws poster was recently priced out at 14,400 dollars, the value of a good used vehicle. If the poster continues to appreciate in value, it could one day pay for a mansion, with a shark tank.
9Lawrence of Arabia - $16,100
Widely revered as one of the best movies ever made,Lawrence of Arabiais an epic historical drama starring British actors Peter O’toole andAlec Guiness. The film,based on the real life storyof British archeologist Thomas Edward Lawrence, endured multiple releases. The original British release in 1962, the American release in 1963, and the re-release in 1971. The movie poster from the original theatrical release is now priced at 16,100 dollars! To give you an idea of how important originalreleasesare to collectors, a poster from the American release the following year in 1963 can now be sold for around only 400 US dollars. As the years go on, this classic film will retain its status and the price of the original poster will continue to increase.
8Thunderball - $16,730
Who doesn’t love a classic James Bond poster? The fourth iteration in the James Bond series,Thunderballpremiered at Hibya Theater inTokyo, Japanin 1965. Starring theoriginal Bond, Sean Connery, the film was released to excited and thrilled reviews. In fact,Thunderballis the second highest grossing Bond film, second to 2012’sSkyfall. Despite premiering in Japan, the original theatrical poster for the British spy film is in English. However, original Japanese prints of the poster can be sold for upwards of 2,000 dollars, yet this is nothing compared to the value of the English printed poster.
This is not an uncommon trend in the movie poster collector’s market. Famously, an original German print poster ofMetropolisis already worth a small fortune at 357,750 dollars whereas the English print is worth nearly double that. Priced at 690,000, the poster is rumored to belong toLeonardo DiCaprio. ForThunderball, the original English poster is now valued at 16,730 US dollars. With Bond being such a staple in film culture, the poster’s value is sure to appreciate over time.
Related:The Best James Bond Movies to Watch if You’ve Never Seen One Before
7You Only Live Twice - $16,800
Another Bond film entry on the list,You Only Live Twiceis the direct follow-up to the previous entry. The film sees the famed international super-spy head to Japan to investigate a spacecraft which has landed in the Sea of Japan. The film was such a big deal at the time of its release thatQueen Elizabeth IIof England attended the London premiere. Support from the British monarch must have only propelled the film further into the salience of English culture thus explaining how two consecutive Bond films could take up the eighth and seventh spots on this list respectively.
The original print of theYou Only Live Twicetheatrical poster currently goes for 16,800 dollars. Just a pinch more than that of its predecessor,Thunderball. Frank McCarthy and Robert McGiniss are the artistic duo behind both of the famed posters. Despite the immense popularity of the series, these are the only two Bond films on the remainder of this list.
6Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - $17,925
Considered to be a favorite by many in the Harry Potter fandom,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanhas something unexplainably special about it. The only Potter filmdirected by Alfonso Cuarón, Azkaban is one of a kind. After all, it is the youngest film on this list. So, how is it that a movie from 2004 already has one of the most expensive posters of all time?
The poster has broken a record as the highest valued Harry Potter poster of all time. The value comes down to the poster’s rarity.Featuring Gary Oldmanas Sirius Black enduring a wizard mugshot, the poster has holographic qualities making it appear to move based on the viewer’s perspective. The poster is one of only six prototypes that were produced by Warner Bros yet never released, making it an ultimately rare collectors item. With a value of 17,925 dollars, the rare poster belongs to an HP super fan that goes only byMr. Fox. Perhaps one day this investment will feed his grandchildren.
5Batman and Robin - $18,600
Batman is one of those super-hero names that are synonymous with super-hero itself. Therefore, it’s no wonder a movie poster from theBatman franchiseshould end up on this list. Hailing from the 1949 film serial by Columbia,New Adventures of Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, this poster is the only one on the list to come from a film serial. The oldest entry on this list, with a hefty value of 18,600 dollars, the poster is a valued relic from a bygone era. Nonetheless, a poster that will continue to amass value so long as it remains around and in fair condition.
Related: Why Batman:Venom Should be Adapted for Film or TV
4A Clockwork Orange - $19,120
The first, but not the last film on this list directed by Stanley Kubrick,A Clockwork Orangeis perhaps one of the most exaggerated live action displays of violence in film. Proving controversial for its time, the film was initially met with a polarizing reception that led it to being pulled from British cinema and banned in several countries around the world. Today the film has a cult-like following and is argued by some to bemore relevant now than everbefore.
For a film with such a public and controversial history, it is no wonder any of the memorabilia surrounding the movie should amass some value. The most valuable theatrical poster fromA Clockwork Orangeis presently worth 19,120 dollars. However, with this film’s important place in movie history, it’s certain to be worth plenty more one day. Maybe even enough to buy Alex a signed Beethoven record!
32001: A Space Odyssey - $20,913
Ranking at the top of many lists of the greatest films of all time,2001: A Space Odysseyno doubt has a highly valued original movie poster. A revolutionary film for the genre of science fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey was the first ever movie to raise questions regarding the sentience of artificial intelligence. The film’s original Hilton Hotel promotional poster has recently been auctioned off for the value of 20,913 US dollars. Considering the film’s place in history as well as the prominence of its latedirector, Stanley Kubrick, this poster as well as other assets from the film will continue to appreciate until the end of the worm-hole we call time.
2The Empire Strikes Back - $26,400
Widely hailed as the best Star Wars film,The Empire Strikes Backpremiered in 1980 and is one of the most culturally significant films of all time. The follow direct follow-up to the original Star Wars acted as both a brilliant sequel, and in the franchise’s bigger picture, a stunning centerpiece to theoriginal trilogy. The movie cemented Star Wars' status as a cultural giant with a legendaryplot twistthat many consider to be the single greatest reveal in cinematic history.
The original concept poster, created by none otherJawsartist Roger Kastel, has recently been auctioned for 26,400 dollars. One of the highest grossing intellectual properties in the world, Star Wars will be a dominant part of human culture until the downfall of society as we know it. Until then, this poster is going to continue to skyrocket in value year after year.
1Star Wars - $45,410
Coming from the film that single-handedly changed the science fiction genre and the whole entire movie industry with its innovative special effects, the most valuable movie poster from the last 75 years belongs toStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Originally debuting simply asStar Warsin 1977, the film was in preproduction for the better half of a decade before its release. The most valuable poster from the film is artist Tom Jung’s pencil half-sheet sketch of what is possibly the first Star Wars poster in existence. The drawing was recently auctioned for 45,410 dollars and will some day be valued at millions.
