“Conan the Barbarian” (コナン・ザ・グレート), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1982, B2 Size (51 x 73cm) F150A
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1982 for the first Japanese release of Conan the Barbarian, released in Japan under the title コナン・ザ・グレート. Directed by John Milius, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, with Sandahl Bergman as Valeria, James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom, and Max von Sydow.
Film background
Released in 1982, Conan the Barbarian became one of the defining fantasy-adventure films of the early 1980s and helped establish Arnold Schwarzenegger as an international screen presence. Adapted from the sword-and-sorcery world created by Robert E. Howard, the film combines mythic violence, heroic spectacle, and a powerful orchestral score by Basil Poledouris. Its visual language remains central to the cinematic image of Conan: brutal, elemental, and strongly tied to fantasy illustration traditions.
Poster design
A bold Japanese theatrical design using the celebrated Renato Casaro fantasy artwork, with Conan raising his sword above Valeria against a dramatic red-and-black backdrop. The image captures the film’s heroic, mythic atmosphere with strong painterly force, while the Japanese campaign gives the design additional impact through the massive red-orange title treatment コナン・ザ・グレート across the lower section.
The upper-left Japanese tagline reads: 「遙か文明の夜明けまえ――盗賊が征服者となり野蛮人が王となる時代があった。」 — “Before the dawn of distant civilisation, there was an age when thieves became conquerors, and barbarians became kings.” The poster also retains the small English Conan the Barbarian logo within the artwork, creating a strong balance between the international fantasy image and the distinctive Japanese theatrical layout.
Condition
Very Good. Visible handling wear, creasing, surface marks, and edge wear in places, consistent with an original cinema-used poster of this age. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 44 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
