“Wag the Dog” (ウワサの真相／ワグ・ザ・ドッグ), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1998, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) T174

This is an original Japanese B2 poster produced for the first Japanese theatrical release of Wag the Dog in 1998. Directed by Barry Levinson, the 1997 American political satire stars Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Anne Heche. The film opened in Japan on 23 May 1998, distributed by GAGA–Humax, with a distinctive advertising campaign that perfectly suits its story of manufactured news and political manipulation.

Film background
With a presidential election approaching, a damaging scandal threatens the incumbent’s chances. Political fixer Conrad Brean, played by De Niro, recruits Hollywood producer Stanley Motss, played by Hoffman, to fabricate a foreign war and divert public attention. Anne Heche plays the presidential aide helping to coordinate their increasingly elaborate deception.

Written by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet, and loosely adapted from Larry Beinhart’s novel American Hero, the film turns the machinery of entertainment into a darkly comic weapon of political persuasion.

Poster design
This Japanese design adopts the crowded, sensational appearance of a tabloid front page, combining an ensemble photograph with oversized headlines and sharply contrasting blocks of colour.

The upper photograph shows Dustin Hoffman on the left, wearing glasses and a patterned scarf; Anne Heche in the centre, with a blonde bob and beige coat; and Robert De Niro on the right, wearing a grey hat and vivid red scarf. They stand outside the White House grounds, beneath and between enormous orange Japanese slogans.

Below the photograph, bold black headlines fill cream panels, while a coral-red band and tilted yellow “Top Secret” label advertise a clandestine meeting between Washington’s fixer and a Hollywood producer. A tall turquoise column runs down the right side, accompanied by further vertical headlines and a small, angled photograph of a television control room.

The large gold-coloured title 「ウワサの真相」, outlined in white against black, anchors the bottom, with 「ワグ・ザ・ドッグ」 printed beneath in pink. The busy layout cleverly reflects the film’s world of competing headlines, scandal and media spectacle.

Condition
Excellent+.

Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 28 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.