Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999
This poster seemed to be seen in more places for a longer time than
any poster in memory. What seemed to be taking place turns out to
be true. It is very unusual for a poster done to advertise a
movie
in the North American market to remain unchanged when it goes into
other
markets. Usually there will be different posters for different
countries.
Drew had heard a comment that George Lucas was trying to protect this
image
and to keep it "the" image for the movie whenever and wherever the film
was represented. It took some seven months or so for the film to
release in all it's market places around the world. Once complete
it had opened in at least fifty markets world wide. In every case
in whatever land it opened, this painting by Drew represented the movie
to every audience. While there are no records kept on such a
thing,
this has got to be the most seen, widely distributed and collected
poster
of any time.
The tabulations are incomplete but the film already stands as the third
largest grossing film of all time in the North American market
alone.
Lucasfilm is so rightfully proud of this image that they have sent to
Drew
a collection of one poster from each of the openings from around the
world,
totaling fifty different posters from as many different
countries.
What a collection, what a poster, what a painting, what an icon of our
age!