{"product_id":"the-lion-king-original-release-japanese-b1-advance-theatrical-poster-1994-rare-john-alvin-pride-rock-key-visual-b1-poster-size-c-72-8-103cm-bak-a","title":"“The Lion King”, Original Release Japanese B1 Advance \/ Theatrical Poster 1994, Rare John Alvin Pride Rock Key Visual, B1 Poster Size (c.72.8 × 103cm) BAK-A","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis is an \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal, rare large-format Japanese B1 theatrical \/ advance poster printed in 1994\u003c\/strong\u003e for the first Japanese cinema release of Walt Disney’s \u003cem\u003eThe Lion King\u003c\/em\u003e (ライオン・キング). The film opened theatrically in Japan on \u003cstrong\u003e23 July 1994\u003c\/strong\u003e, distributed by Buena Vista International Japan. It was \u003cstrong\u003eWalt Disney’s 32nd feature-length animated film\u003c\/strong\u003e, a fact proudly announced across the top of this very poster. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the highly desirable \u003cstrong\u003ePride Rock \/ Mufasa key visual illustrated by celebrated movie-poster artist John Alvin\u003c\/strong\u003e, presented here in the much larger \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese B1 format of approximately 72.8 × 103 cm (28.7 × 40.6 inches)\u003c\/strong\u003e. Alvin is credited with the original theatrical poster illustration featuring Simba on Pride Rock and Mufasa emerging from the sky. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFilm background\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Lion King\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of \u003cstrong\u003eSimba\u003c\/strong\u003e, the young heir to the Pride Lands, whose father \u003cstrong\u003eMufasa\u003c\/strong\u003e teaches him about responsibility, kingship and the interconnected “Circle of Life.” After Mufasa is killed through the scheming of his brother \u003cstrong\u003eScar\u003c\/strong\u003e, Simba is driven into exile and grows up far from his homeland before eventually confronting his past and reclaiming his place as king.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirected by \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Allers and Rob Minkoff\u003c\/strong\u003e and produced by \u003cstrong\u003eDon Hahn\u003c\/strong\u003e, the film features an extraordinary voice cast including \u003cstrong\u003eMatthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella\u003c\/strong\u003e. The score was composed by \u003cstrong\u003eHans Zimmer\u003c\/strong\u003e, with songs by \u003cstrong\u003eElton John and Tim Rice\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReleased during the extraordinary creative period now known as the \u003cstrong\u003eDisney Renaissance\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Lion King\u003c\/em\u003e became one of the defining animated films of the 1990s and remains among the most recognisable works in Disney history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist \/ poster background\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe artwork was created by \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Alvin\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most important American film-poster illustrators of the late twentieth century. Alvin created memorable advertising imagery for a remarkable range of major films, and his \u003cem\u003eLion King\u003c\/em\u003e composition has become one of the most enduring images associated with the movie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Japanese campaign retains Alvin’s spectacular central composition while adding distinctive Japanese typography and domestic advertising copy, creating a design that is immediately recognisable as \u003cem\u003eThe Lion King\u003c\/em\u003e while remaining unmistakably tied to its \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal 1994 Japanese release\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoster design\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrinted in the imposing \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese B1 format\u003c\/strong\u003e, this poster gives Alvin’s famous artwork substantially more visual presence than the standard B2 theatrical sheet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is dominated by an enormous, ethereal portrait of \u003cstrong\u003eMufasa emerging from the blue night sky\u003c\/strong\u003e, his face almost completely integrated into the clouds and stars. Rather than appearing as a conventional character portrait, Mufasa becomes an almost spiritual presence watching over the Pride Lands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar below, \u003cstrong\u003eSimba stands alone at the tip of Pride Rock\u003c\/strong\u003e, illuminated by a golden break in the clouds. His tiny scale relative to Mufasa creates one of the poster’s most powerful ideas: the young lion standing at the threshold of the enormous legacy he is destined to inherit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe foreground spreads into a magnificent panorama of the Pride Lands, with \u003cstrong\u003eelephants, giraffes, zebras, antelope and other animals gathering below Pride Rock\u003c\/strong\u003e. The warm gold and green landscape contrasts beautifully with the immense blue sky above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the centre, Alvin’s atmospheric artwork is interrupted by the monumental title:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE LION KING\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erendered in deep red serif lettering, followed immediately by the Japanese \u003cstrong\u003eライオン・キング\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Japanese headline running across the top reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eウォルト・ディズニー32作目の長篇アニメーション大作。\u003cbr\u003e1994年夏、全人類が感動する。ふるさとは、ア・フ・リ・カ。\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Walt Disney’s 32nd feature-length animated masterpiece.\u003cbr\u003eSummer 1994 — all humanity will be moved. Home is A-F-R-I-C-A.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe slightly theatrical spacing of \u003cstrong\u003eア・フ・リ・カ (“A-F-R-I-C-A”)\u003c\/strong\u003e is especially characteristic of Japanese film advertising from the period and gives the domestic campaign its own personality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lower margin retains the original \u003cstrong\u003eWalt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista International (Japan)\u003c\/strong\u003e release information together with period soundtrack and theatrical markings, firmly identifying the sheet as part of the original 1994 Japanese campaign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRare B1 format\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Japanese \u003cstrong\u003eB2 posters were the standard theatrical display format\u003c\/strong\u003e, B1 sheets are physically twice their surface area and were produced for larger-scale promotional display. Surviving first-release examples in this format are consequently \u003cstrong\u003efar harder to encounter than the standard B2 poster\u003c\/strong\u003e, particularly for major 1990s animation titles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt approximately \u003cstrong\u003e103 cm high\u003c\/strong\u003e, this B1 transforms the Pride Rock imagery into a genuinely imposing display piece. Mufasa’s cloud portrait in particular has dramatically more presence at this scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis poster is in Excellent+ condition.\u003c\/strong\u003e It is an \u003cstrong\u003eexceptionally well-preserved, unfolded example\u003c\/strong\u003e, retaining superb colour saturation throughout. The blues remain rich and luminous, the sunset yellows and oranges are vivid, and the large red title remains exceptionally crisp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are \u003cstrong\u003eonly very light signs of handling and minor soft surface rippling \/ creasing\u003c\/strong\u003e, principally around the margins, consistent with careful storage of a large unbacked poster for more than three decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, this is a \u003cstrong\u003every high-grade example of a particularly desirable and much rarer B1-format Disney poster\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease refer to the imagery (front and verso), as this is the exact poster that is for sale. Once framed, the huge B1 format and extraordinary John Alvin artwork will display spectacularly.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is over 32 years old.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is not a reproduction or a reprint.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57217016594810,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/man-looking-at-an-art-gallery-wall-2026-08-31T162337.251.jpg?v=1788161029","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/the-lion-king-original-release-japanese-b1-advance-theatrical-poster-1994-rare-john-alvin-pride-rock-key-visual-b1-poster-size-c-72-8-103cm-bak-a","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}