“Godzilla vs Biollante” (ゴジラvsビオランテ), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1989, Artwork by Noriyoshi Ohrai (生頼範義), Ultra Rare, B1 Size (c. 73 × 103 cm)
This is an original Japanese B1 theatrical poster printed in 1989 for Toho’s Heisei-era kaiju classic Godzilla vs Biollante. A genuine first-run cinema display sheet, it carries the bold release-date snipe 「12月16日土曜！」 — announcing the film’s Japanese opening on Saturday, December 16. Large, dramatic, and image-led, this is one of the most visually arresting Godzilla posters of the Heisei period.
Why collectors prize this poster
Artwork by Noriyoshi Ohrai — the legendary illustrator behind many of the most celebrated Heisei Godzilla posters, as well as the famed international poster artwork for The Empire Strikes Back.
Ultra rare B1 format — the larger Japanese theatrical size, used for high-impact cinema display and surviving in far smaller numbers than standard B2 posters.
A defining Heisei Godzilla image — Godzilla is placed against Biollante’s immense floral-horror form, creating one of the most unusual and memorable monster compositions in the entire Toho poster canon.
Original 1989 first-release theatrical paper — not a later decorative print, not a reproduction, and not a modern reissue.
Poster design
Ohrai’s composition is extraordinary: Godzilla stands in profile at the center, rendered with heavy sculptural texture and dramatic green highlights, while the gigantic rose-like maw of Biollante blooms behind him in luminous reds, pinks, yellows, and poisonous greens. The surrounding tendrils, smaller floral heads, and aquatic growths fill the background with a dense, almost organic atmosphere, giving the poster a darker science-fiction fantasy quality unlike the more traditional city-destruction imagery of earlier Godzilla campaigns.
The large title 「ゴジラ vs ビオランテ」 anchors the lower section in bold red and magenta lettering, set against a deep black base that intensifies the colour of the painting above. The diagonal black-and-white date panel 「12月16日土曜！」 adds a sharp graphic counterpoint, while the small production credits at the bottom identify Tomoyuki Tanaka as producer, Kazuki Ōmori as writer-director, and Kōichi Kawakita as special effects director. Ohrai’s printed signature is visible in the artwork, further strengthening the poster’s appeal as a major example of his Godzilla work.
Film background
Released by Toho in 1989, Godzilla vs Biollante is one of the key films of the Heisei Godzilla cycle. Directed and written by Kazuki Ōmori, with special effects by Kōichi Kawakita, the film follows the creation of Biollante, a genetically engineered creature born from Godzilla cells, plant matter, and human tragedy. The result is one of the franchise’s most ambitious monsters: part rose, part Godzilla, part bio-engineered nightmare.
The film is admired for its darker tone, bio-science themes, espionage elements, and unusually imaginative creature design. In poster form, those qualities are distilled into a single unforgettable image: Godzilla facing a monstrous botanical organism that feels both beautiful and grotesque.
Condition
Very Good / Excellent, theatre-used: unrestored and not linen-backed, with light handling consistent with original cinema display. There are minor border and corner signs, small edge scuffs/nicks, light surface creasing, and modest handling visible on close inspection, particularly in the darker lower area and outer margins. Colours remain rich, saturated, and highly atmospheric, and the poster retains tremendous display presence in the large B1 format.
Please review all photographs carefully — the images show the exact poster offered.
It is over 36 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
