If Godzilla 1st release 1954 is the rarest poster we have in stock right now, this is a close second.
On the 24th July 2021, one sold at auction (Heritage Auctions) and broke all records for this poster.
This poster is in near mint condition. We are happy to provide additional imagery on request.
We acquired this international one-sheet from a long-established and very reputable licensed poster shop in Jimbocho, Tokyo. It was a wonderful surprise to find this treasure. The owner of the store purchased this poster from an inter-store national auction. This auction is B2B and only for members of the Union of Second Hand Booksellers in Japan (in Japan they call this auction "ichiba" which literally means market). 99% of our posters are Japanese (hence www.japanposter.co.uk, however, we do purchase international posters from physical stores here if they are of interest to us.
The artwork is by Roger Kastel. This poster is widely regarded as the rarest poster ever made for the Original Star Wars Trilogy, Roger Kastel`s concept poster for The Empire Strikes Back only had a small number of one sheets printed in this specific design.
"They were most likely produced as a test run for the film's international one sheet as there is no ratings box or teaser text at the bottom, and they bear some marked differences from the studio's finished product. Not only do Kastel's vibrant background colors immediately arrest the viewer's attention, but the entirety of the iconic Gone with the Wind image is actually larger than what is found on the official one sheet, which shrunk the illustration down and had extra background added to the bottom. Kastel also included a number of additional renderings in his original design that the studio removed as they made the image "too busy," like Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, and Cloud City. Collectors had best take notice of this coveted poster, as there are few that ever make their way to auction." (SOURCE: Heritage Auctions)