The original painting for the "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope" half sheet poster, which became the first widely published image to ever promote the now-iconic franchise, is selling at auction for the first time at Heritage.
Bidding begins at a whopping $1 million.
You’re looking at the first widely published promotional artwork for Star Wars ✨ https://t.co/zUDr4cf4e8 pic.twitter.com/9zMQiJEM83
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) November 12, 2025
The artwork, created by Tom Jung, would later be used on the film's original theatrical program, the 24-sheet billboard and countless other promotional items.
“Heritage Auctions has had the privilege of offering countless extraordinary pieces of Star Wars history,” Charles Epting, Heritage’s Director of Pop Culture and Historical Consignments, said in a statement. “But none embody the heart and spirit of the saga quite like this painting. This is the image that launched a mythology — the first glimpse of a universe that continues to inspire awe and wonder nearly 50 years later.”
The painting was created so early in the development of the film that droids C-3P0 and R2-D2 were not included and only added later by Jung to the lower right corner.
After the film's 1977 release, the painting would hang in the office of producer Gary Kurtz. Later, he would move it to his family home in the early 1980s, where it has resided since, never before hitting the auction block.
“It has been an honor to have this wonderful painting with us all these years,” Melissa Kurtz, daughter of producer Gary Kurtz, added in a statement. “It serves as a warm reminder of that incredible experience — being part of the making of a film that has touched so many lives.”
The current record for any "Star Wars" item is a screen-matched lightsaber used by Darth Vader, which sold for $3.7 million earlier this year.
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Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.