11. Star Wars 1978 re-release poster
Star Wars was obviously a runaway success, and this poster was created to advertise the movie being re-released into theaters one year later in 1978. The now-familiar image of Luke and Leia swinging across the chasm is the biggest image used to advertise the re-release.
While the original posters for Star Wars wanted to focus on the epic scale of the universe being created, this one strikes a tone that focuses on the adventures of these characters. Where one is inviting you to explore a new world, this style is inviting you back to have fun with the characters you’ve already fallen in love with.
The poster is designed to look worn. The frayed edges not only harken back to the pulp inspiration for the film but are also a way to play with the idea that the poster has been hanging in a movie theater for quite a while, a nod to how long the movie was successful and dominated the box office. This is actually the first time that Drew Struzan was the artist for a Star Wars poster, making this one a milestone as his art would go on to become some of the most familiar to Star Wars fans. This is also reportedly the favorite poster of the film’s director George Lucas who had a print of this poster hanging in his office.