It wouldn't be unfair to say that Star Wars movies often divide opinions, particularly when it comes to which of them is best (or worst). 1977's Star Wars (later dubbed A New Hope) remains an undisputed classic, and a poster first released in Japan way back in 1982 has now resurfaced on social media.
A New Hope didn't arrive in theaters there until 5 years after the U.S. However, that only served to increase anticipation and the sci-fi franchise remains beloved in the country.
Drew Struzan is, of course, best known for creating Star Wars posters but this effort by Noriyoshi Ohrai (Godzilla) gives that legendary artist a run for his money! Vibrant and colourful, it puts the Millennium Falcon front and centre with the ship cleverly separating the movie's heroes and villains.
The way Darth Vader looms large is suitably foreboding, while seeing A New Hope's heroes assembled below makes for a striking piece of imagery.
Check out this Japanese Star Wars poster (via SFFGazette.com) below.
Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars was the first film released in this series and the fourth chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga."
Originally released on May 25, 1977, it quickly became a blockbuster hit and was met with widespread critical acclaim. It grossed $410 million worldwide during its initial run, surpassing Jaws to become the highest-grossing film until the release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982. Subsequent releases (and there have been many of them) brought its total gross to $775 million.
The Empire Strikes and Return of the Jedi would follow before Lucas returned to this Galaxy Far, Far Away for his prequel trilogy. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion, a sequel trilogy followed which, unfortunately, failed to follow Lucas' original story outlines.
You can read more about what those movies would have entailed by clicking here.