With Disney switching their plans for Star Wars from the big screen to television format for the foreseeable future, it's a good time to look back at the saga's movie posters from around the world. Every movie had a series of posters released in the United States, from teasers to characters to IMAX, but many countries created their own unique versions as well. Some variations were minimal, while others showed a completely new perspective on what to expect from each film.
Fans eagerly awaited the reveal of the next posters, excited to inspect every inch for clues, and now with all the films released, the posters serve as the perfect snapshots of moments in time of the over forty-year history of Star Wars.
A New Hope, Italy
This stunning poster of the original Star Wars movie was released in 1977 before the film. As most fans know, the first movie was simply called Star Wars, which is what the Italian translation here would be for the title. The change to be renamed A New Hope happened in 1981 when the movie was re-released to theaters, along with the add on of Episode IV. Any poster before that time features the original title. The most notable thing about this version is that Han Solo is missing while Chewbacca makes the cut.
The Empire Strikes Back, Japan
In May 2020, audiences celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back and were delighted to see a striking new poster for the film created not only for the U.S. but also for Japan. The movie was re-released to theaters with this gorgeous artwork showcasing many iconic moments from the film, including the Battle of Hoth and Luke's first lightsaber duel with Darth Vader. The poster credit goes to Matt Ferguson, whose portfolio also includes artwork for other Disney and Marvel movies.
Return Of The Jedi, Japan
Japanese illustrator, Noriyoshi Ohrai, created artwork for several Star Wars films, including The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, A New Hope, and The Phantom Menace.
His breathtaking paintings gained international attention when George Lucas noticed his Star Wars illustration in a science fiction magazine and commissioned him to make one used for the international release of The Empire Strikes Back. Ohrai created a starfall painting for the Return of the Jedi poster, which was featured during the Japanese release of the film.
The Phantom Menace, France
One of the most controversial characters of the Star Wars universe is Jar Jar Binks, which is why it's so fascinating to see a character poster featuring this infamous creature. The words accompanying the image make this promotional piece even more fun with the French calling him both a clown and a friend. There is also a bit of irony for any Star Wars fan who believes in the theory that Jar Jar Binks is secretly a Sith Lord, largely due to his proposal to give Palpatine more power in the Senate.
Attack Of The Clones, Germany
A series of character posters were released for Attack of the Clones, featuring Jedi in the background for the heroes and clone troopers in the background for the villains. The images were used on a variety of merchandise, including the German posters used to promote the film.
The posters allude to the Battle of Geonosis, showing the characters in their outfits from the arena scene. Padme and Anakin appeared in individual versions in Germany as shown, as well as a version posed together for U.S. audiences.
Revenge Of The Sith, Scotland
Award-winning Scottish artist, Ciara McAvoy, has created a collection of truly captivating oil paintings for film posters over the last twenty years, including Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and X-Men. She was sought out by Lucasfilm and created anniversary posters for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Her work also includes her time as an editor for Star Wars guides and sourcebooks, along with Star Wars Galaxy Magazine. The Lucasfilm magazine in France commissioned the Scottish artist to create this poster for Revenge of the Sith.
The Force Awakens, Poland
After releasing an original Star Wars trilogy print that had fans drooling, Polish artist, Grzegorz Domaradzki (aka Gabz), delighted his audience with a poster he created for The Force Awakens. It was so anticipated, it even had a trailer showing off its debut. His unique style of combining his skills of illustration and graphic design has produced an incredible collection of art for many games and films with clients ranging from Marvel Studios and Warner Bros to Ubisoft Montreal and Paramount Pictures.
The Last Jedi, China
As many fans remember, when The Force Awakens poster premiered in China, there were a few changes that were anything but subtle. Finn was shrunk down to a much smaller scale, and Poe was removed completely, along with Chewbacca and Maz Kanata. Essentially any non-white (or non-human) character had been altered from their place on the original U.S. version.
When these character posters of a full-sized Finn and Poe for The Last Jedi were released in China, fans were relieved to see history had not repeated itself and the characters were being treated with more respect. Not to mention they both look fantastic.
The Rise Of Skywalker, Australia
The final installment in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker had dozens of variations of its posters released to prepare fans for the end of the Skywalker saga. The majority of the Star Wars movies had at least one oil painting style poster created for them, which is what makes this Australian version of Episode IX so remarkable. It pays homage to the style that came before, in addition to featuring the new and returning characters fans were waiting patiently to see on the big screen one last time.
Rogue One, Russia
Though it's not a part of the Skywalker saga, Rogue One has a very special place in the hearts of many Star Wars fans worldwide since its release in 2016. Dozens of posters ranging in a wide variety of styles were released before the movie premiere, the majority of which completely differed from what audiences had seen from Star Wars promotional materials in the past. The Russian poster featuring a single rebel helmet casting an Alliance symbol reflection on the water's surface took on a much more haunting note once audiences viewed the film, making it even more powerful of an image.