“Back to the Future” (バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1985, Ultra Rare Horizontal B2 Size (73 × 51 cm) Q168
This is an original Japanese horizontal B2 poster printed in 1985 for the first theatrical release of Back to the Future (バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー), Robert Zemeckis’s landmark time-travel adventure and one of the defining popular films of the 1980s. Original Japanese posters for the film are highly collectible, and this is an especially desirable rare horizontal variant featuring an unusual still-based design rather than the more commonly seen standard campaign artwork.
Film background
Released in 1985, Back to the Future was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson, and Claudia Wells. Produced by Steven Spielberg, the film follows teenager Marty McFly, who is accidentally sent from 1985 back to 1955 in the DeLorean time machine invented by the eccentric Doc Brown. There, he must ensure his parents fall in love while finding a way back to his own time.
The film became an immediate international success and remains one of the most admired science-fiction adventures ever made, celebrated for its ingenious screenplay, unforgettable characters, and perfect fusion of comedy, suspense, romance, and fantasy. It launched one of cinema’s most beloved trilogies and holds a central place in 1980s film history.
Poster design
This is a superb and highly unusual Japanese release design. Rather than using the standard key art of Marty with the DeLorean, this variant presents a full-bleed photographic still centred on Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker.
Marty appears at right in his familiar denim vest layered over a checked shirt, while Jennifer stands at left in a pale jacket, the two locked in an intimate, anxious exchange. Their expressions suggest a moment of urgency and emotional tension, giving the poster a softer, more character-driven mood than the standard action-oriented campaign imagery. The ruined architectural background adds atmosphere and depth, while the warm colour palette gives the still a distinctly cinematic quality.
At lower right appears the bold red Japanese title logo バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー, with the English “BACK TO THE FUTURE” nested inside the arrow motif. Above it is the credit スティーブン・スピルバーグ製作 (“A Steven Spielberg Production”). On the far right edge, a sharp vertical red marker printed with 1985 identifies the time period associated with the image. For collectors, this is precisely what makes the poster so appealing: it is a scarcer Japanese horizontal B2 with a very different visual identity from the standard release poster.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 40 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
