“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) Q172
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 most beloved films of the 1980s. Original Japanese posters for the film are highly collectible, and this is an especially desirable rare horizontal variant featuring a dramatic still-based design rather than the standard one-sheet key art.
This format is best understood as a front-of-house / cinema lobby display poster, produced for use inside Japanese theatres during the film’s original release campaign. Such horizontal B2 still posters are far scarcer than the regular theatrical design and are particularly sought after by collectors.
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 Doc Brown. There, he must repair the damage caused to the past, ensure his parents fall in love, and somehow return to his own time.
A major commercial and critical success, the film became an instant classic, admired for its ingenious script, memorable performances, and enduring influence on popular culture.
Poster design
This is a superb and highly cinematic Japanese release design. Rather than using the familiar illustrated campaign artwork, this variant presents a striking photographic still from the unforgettable Twin Pines Mall sequence, immediately after the DeLorean’s first successful time-travel test.
At left stands Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, dressed in his white radiation suit and clutching the large remote-control unit used to guide the car. His wild hair, widened eyes, and stunned expression capture the moment of astonishment perfectly. Beside him is Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, wearing his iconic orange puffer vest over denim and looking on in equal disbelief. Behind them, the blazing lines of fire left on the tarmac by the DeLorean’s vanished tyres burn against the darkness, creating one of the film’s most instantly recognisable visual motifs.
In the upper right corner 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” embedded within the arrow motif. Above it is the production 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 vertical red marker printed with 1985 identifies the time period of the scene.
For collectors, this is exactly the kind of alternative country-of-origin paper that stands out: a scarce Japanese horizontal B2 with a visually arresting still image drawn directly from one of the film’s most iconic sequences.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 41 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
