Drew Struzan’s Greatest Movie Posters

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I’m deeply saddened to share that Drew Struzan passed away yesterday, October 13th. He often told me how happy he was knowing how much everyone loved his artwork, and I wanted to let you all know that brought him great joy.

Drew Struzan, the artist famous for his iconic movie posters, passed away today at the age of 78. The news was announced on his official Instagram page.

I’ll always remember Drew Struzan for those incredible movie posters he did back in the 80s and 90s – they really defined the era! But he was so much more than *just* a movie poster artist. He did amazing work for books and albums too. What really struck me was his ability to perfectly capture an actor’s face, but then also completely transform them when the artwork called for it. Some of his posters looked like actual photographs, while others were bold and dramatic. He just had a knack for knowing exactly what a poster needed to really grab your attention.

Rather than a traditional obituary, it feels right to simply celebrate Drew Struzan’s incredible artwork. He showcased much of his work on his website, but I’ve chosen 15 of my personal favorite posters to highlight here – a small selection from a vast and impressive body of work. These are the images that will stay with me the most.

Drew Struzan’s Greatest Movie Posters

The Thing (1982)

Drew Struzan’s famous poster for John Carpenter’s *The Thing* doesn’t actually look much like the creature in the movie. The film’s alien can change into anything, but the poster shows a glowing figure hidden within a hooded coat. Despite this difference, the poster perfectly captures the film’s mysterious and terrifying atmosphere, suggesting that anyone could be hiding a terrible secret.

Unfaithfully Yours (1984)

This overlooked comedy, inspired by a film by Preston Sturges, features a striking poster by Drew Struzan. It shows Dudley Moore dramatically ripping sheet music with a knife, towering over a picture of Nastassja Kinski, who plays his potentially unfaithful wife. While Struzan didn’t create the two taglines on the poster, his artwork brilliantly captures their spirit.

Back to the Future (1985)

Drew Struzan is best known for his posters for the *Back to the Future* trilogy. The first poster featured Michael J. Fox emerging from the DeLorean, looking at his watch with flames trailing behind – it perfectly captured the film’s energy. He continued this successful design for the sequels, adding Doc Brown and futuristic details to the *Part II* poster and Doc’s love interest, Clara, and Western elements to the *Part III* poster. Even now, these posters are iconic and instantly recognizable as representing each film.

The Goonies (1985)

The movie poster for *The Goonies* perfectly captures the film’s thrilling cliffside scenes. The poster, by artist Drew Struzan, vividly depicts the kids’ hunt for pirate treasure in Oregon. I especially love how the artist shows a stalactite breaking off in Josh Brolin’s hand, with rocks falling all around – it really emphasizes the danger and excitement of the moment. You can also spot a treasure map subtly in the background.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

A common feature of Drew Struzan’s posters was portraying the main hero as much larger than the other characters and the scenery, giving them a legendary quality. However, his poster for *Big Trouble in Little China* cleverly plays with this idea, since the film itself is a parody of those larger-than-life heroes. Kurt Russell’s character, Jack Burton, *thinks* he’s a skilled and brave hero, but he actually stumbles through most of the movie, with his supposed sidekick, Wang (Dennis Dun), doing most of the real work. Struzan’s painting emphasizes this by depicting Jack as an imposing figure, complete with Kurt Russell’s confident smirk, creating the initial impression of a classic action hero.

Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)

Struzan excelled at creating movie posters with large groups of actors, instantly capturing each character’s personality through their pose and expression. He did this brilliantly for the *Police Academy* films, and I believe his best work for the series was the poster for *Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol*. It perfectly conveyed the characters’ personalities – you can even see the show falling off Bobcat Goldthwait’s foot!

Masters of the Universe (1987)

The *Masters of the Universe* movie wasn’t very good – it was actually quite cheesy. However, you’d never guess that from Drew Struzan’s amazing poster. The powerful imagery, the energy radiating from Dolph Lundgren’s sword and physique, made the movie *look* incredible. If the film itself had lived up to the poster’s dramatic promise, it wouldn’t have been such a failure.

Coming to America (1988)

This is another fantastic Drew Struzan poster, and it really makes Eddie Murphy seem larger than life. He’s shown towering over everything else in the image. His pose is perfect – one hand on his jacket, the other on his hip, chest out, and a huge smile. It’s so memorable and striking that even after 30 years, I could instantly recreate the image from the *Coming to America* poster if you asked me to.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Struzan was incredibly skilled at capturing a person’s likeness, even when painting cartoon characters and puppets. He created posters for several Muppet movies, and many consider his work for *The Muppet Christmas Carol* to be his best. It perfectly blends his talent for exaggerated caricatures with a dramatic, scene-like composition.

The Flintstones (1994)

To be honest, growing up I saw this poster all the time and always thought it was a photograph, not an illustration. That’s just how talented Drew Struzan was at painting faces and expressions – and things like dinosaurs and ancient birds, too!

Cutthroat Island (1995)

I remember when *Cutthroat Island* came out – it was a huge disappointment and really hurt the studio that made it, even basically ending pirate movies in Hollywood for years. But honestly, the failure wasn’t down to the artwork. Drew Struzan’s poster for it is incredible – seriously, one of his best ever. The way he painted Geena Davis and Matthew Modine was beautiful, and he even included amazing little details, like smoke from the cannons and a texture that made it look like an old, worn treasure map. It was a fantastic piece of art that deserved a better film!

Mallrats (1995)

It’s no surprise that film fan Kevin Smith wanted Drew Struzan to create the poster for his second movie, *Mallrats*. Struzan’s playful take on Smith’s laid-back New Jersey characters – portraying them like grand heroes – was a perfect fit, particularly since he designed the poster to look like a worn comic book cover.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Drew Struzan designed the posters for all the *Star Wars* Special Editions and prequel films, and deciding which one is best is really a matter of opinion. Personally, I prefer *The Phantom Menace* poster. I like how it beautifully arranges faces, droids, and spaceships, all with Darth Maul’s menacing face in the background. That dark image provides a great contrast to the hopeful and optimistic faces of Liam Neeson and young Jake Lloyd.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

By the early 2000s, Drew Struzan had become a highly influential movie poster artist. His style—featuring character portraits surrounded by scenes from the film—became a signal to audiences that a movie was a major release. Seeing a Struzan poster for a film like *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone* in 2001 instantly suggested the movie would be as popular and successful as the original books.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2003)

According to artist Drew Struzan’s website, he started working on artwork for the *Blade Runner* poster in 1982 at the request of the studio. However, Warner Bros. ultimately chose a different artist, and Struzan never finished the piece. Years later, when Ridley Scott prepared his “final cut” of the movie in the early 2000s, he recalled Struzan’s work and asked if it could be used then. Struzan agreed and completed the image we see today.

The Most Valuable Movie Posters

20. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The price was $203,150. A common trend among these high-value items is classic horror movie memorabilia. While many expensive sales involve the famous Universal Monsters from the 1930s, the 1925 film *The Phantom of the Opera*, starring Lon Chaney Sr., came before them all. This poster likely sold for so much because of its rarity and historical significance.

19. Metropolis (1928)

This Australian release poster for the classic sci-fi film *Metropolis* is priced at $215,100. While other *Metropolis* posters are more valuable, I personally think this one is the most visually striking. (Please note that ‘my money’ is just an expression – I’m not actually offering to pay that amount!)

18. The Kid (1921)

Let me tell you, as a collector, this poster is a real find! It’s for Charlie Chaplin’s *The Kid*, his very first full-length film, and that alone makes it special. Chaplin is, of course, a legend, and this poster—currently priced at $228,000—isn’t just a piece of movie memorabilia, it’s a genuine piece of film history. It’s a fantastic item for any serious Chaplin fan or collector of classic cinema.

17. Casablanca (1947)

This vintage movie poster for the classic film *Casablanca* is priced at $239,000. *Casablanca* is a highly cherished film and a popular subject for collectors. You’ll likely see multiple *Casablanca* posters on lists like this one, as there are many beautiful versions. This particular poster is a French re-release from 1947, featuring artwork by Pierre Pigeot. A notable detail is the artist’s use of swirling, zig-zagging smoke.

16. Flying Down to Rio (1933)

This poster is for the movie *Flying Down to Rio*, which is a significant film for musical fans as it marked the first on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. While the movie itself isn’t widely known, this particular poster is rare because it features the original artwork, before the artist added clothing to the woman in the foreground. A later, altered version is also available for viewing.

15. Frankenstein (1931)

The price was $262,900. Movie poster collectors highly value posters from Universal’s classic monster film, *Frankenstein*. This particular poster, in excellent condition and never folded in almost 100 years, sold for over $250,000.

14. The Invisible Man (1933)

This vintage poster for the film *The Invisible Man*, featuring artwork by Karoly Grosz, is priced at $274,850. The seller playfully suggests that the irony of advertising a film about someone unseen might justify the high cost.

13. The Black Cat (1934)

The price is $286,800. While *The Black Cat* isn’t as well-remembered as classics like *Frankenstein* or *The Invisible Man*, it’s historically significant as the first film to star both horror icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Combined with its basis in an Edgar Allan Poe story and striking visuals – including a memorable laser-eyed cat on the poster – it’s a truly exceptional movie advertisement.

12. Dracula (1931)

Okay, so this incredible *Dracula* poster is up for grabs, and it’s a really special one! It’s the first one on the list, but believe me, there are more! What makes it even cooler is that it used to belong to Nicolas Cage! It’s called the “Style F” one-sheet, and it’s for the original 1931 *Dracula* movie starring Bela Lugosi. The price is $310,700, and as a huge horror fan, I think it’s a fantastic piece of movie history.

11. Frankenstein (1931)

This rare movie poster, nicknamed “Frankenstein Style A,” sold for $312,000 in the spring of 2023. The auction house compared its value to highly sought-after comic books like the first appearances of Superman and Batman, suggesting it was equally collectible. While the comparison might be an exaggeration, it certainly helped boost the sale price.

10. Dracula (1938)

This movie poster is for the 1938 re-release of *Dracula*, not the original 1931 film. Despite this, it’s highly valued by collectors due to its striking illustration of Bela Lugosi in the role, and its distinctive green color. The green tint was reportedly used to make the re-release print stand out as something new.

9. The Black Cat (1934)

This copy of *The Black Cat* poster is rarer – and therefore more valuable – than the one we discussed earlier. It features striking and somewhat unsettling portraits of the film’s two main stars, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.

8. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

This vintage poster from the movie *The Bride of Frankenstein*, featuring both Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster and Elsa Lanchester as the Bride, is quite valuable. It sold for almost $334,600 back in 2007.

7. Frankenstein (1931)

This poster sold for $358,500, making it the most expensive *Frankenstein* poster on our list. It’s a rare three-sheet poster with an interesting past: it was discovered in the 1970s hidden in an old movie theater. It had been repeatedly used to advertise different re-releases of the film, which left it worn. Thankfully, it was professionally restored, bringing it back to its original condition.

6. Casablanca (1942)

A large, six-panel poster for the movie *Casablanca*, measuring over six and a half feet tall and wide, recently sold for $384,000. This raises a funny question: if someone spent that much on a poster, how much would they spend on the furniture it’s displayed on?

5. King Kong (1933)

This three-sheet poster, known as “Style B,” sold for $388,375. Similar posters have fetched high prices at auction, and considering the film’s historical significance and influence on modern directors, the price isn’t unexpected.

4. Casablanca (1946)

This poster for an Italian re-release of *Casablanca* features artwork by Luigi Martinati, making it a truly striking piece. It recently sold for $478,000 – a considerable price for a movie poster!

3. London After Midnight (1927)

This rare movie poster sold for $478,000 at auction and was believed to be the only one of its kind at the time. The film it advertises is even harder to find – the last complete copy was destroyed in a fire, making this silent thriller starring Lon Chaney something of a cinematic holy grail. Although historians have tried to reconstruct the film from still images, a full, original print remains lost.

2. Dracula (1931)

I’m absolutely captivated by this vintage movie poster! It’s for the classic Dracula film, and the artwork of Bela Lugosi as the vampire is just stunning. It’s listed for $525,800, and while you *can* find copies of the image for much cheaper – I saw one for $17! – owning an original like this feels so much more special. It’s a piece of film history, and frankly, a reproduction just wouldn’t have the same impact. It’s not just a poster; it’s a statement!

1. Metropolis (1927)

A rare German poster for the 1927 film *Metropolis* sold for $690,000 in 2005. Guinness World Records states the Reel Poster Gallery in London sold it to an American collector. The poster’s artwork is by Heinz Schulz-Neudamm. Only four copies of this poster are known to exist; the others are held in a private collection, the Film Museum in Berlin, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

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2025-10-14 22:32