Star Wars 1977 Promo Painting Sells for $3.875 Million

A landmark piece of film history, the original acrylic and airbrush painting used to promote the 1977 release of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, sold at auction in Dallas on Wednesday for $3.875 million, setting records for both franchise memorabilia and movie poster artwork.

The painting, created by artist and designer Tom Jung, fetched the top bid during a Heritage Auctions sale of Hollywood collectibles. Bidding began at $1 million, with the winning offer placed online by an anonymous buyer. The price includes a buyer's premium and surpasses the previous high for Star Wars items, a Darth Vader lightsaber prop that sold for $3.6 million in 2023. It also eclipses the record for any movie poster art, previously held by Bob Peak's Apocalypse Now illustration at $687,500.

The artwork first appeared in national newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, just under two weeks before George Lucas's space opera premiered on May 25. It later featured on billboards, magazine ads, theater programs, and the film's official poster, offering audiences their initial visual introduction to the saga's characters and settings. "For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse...