The Tom Jung artwork that helped introduce the 1977 film to mass audiences set new records for both Star Wars memorabilia and movie-poster art.
The original Star Wars painting sells for record $3.9m after a Heritage Auctions sale in Dallas, cementing the artwork’s place among the most valuable pieces of film-related memorabilia ever sold. The 1977 promotional painting by illustrator Tom Jung changed hands for $3.875 million (widely rounded to $3.9 million), according to reports carried by major news outlets.
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A Tom Jung painting used to promote the first Star Wars film sold on Wednesday, Dec. 10, for $3.875 million at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, with the result described as a record for Star Wars memorabilia and for movie poster artwork. The buyer bid through the auction house’s website and chose to remain anonymous, according to coverage of the sale. The work was long held by Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz before it was sold by the Kurtz family, with bidding said to have opened at $1 million.
What sold, and why it’s iconic
The piece is the original painting created by Tom Jung—an artist known for movie-poster work—using acrylic and airbrush techniques, and it became one of the defining images associated with Star Wars’ early marketing. Reports say the image first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, less than two weeks before the film opened, and later appeared in other formats such as billboards, magazine ads, and theater programs.
The composition matters to collectors because it captures how the film was first sold visually to the public, before decades of sequels, prequels, and spin-offs expanded the franchise. One side of the painting depicts Luke Skywalker raising a lightsaber with Princess Leia in front and Darth Vader looming behind, while the other side shows an action-heavy montage including X-wing starfighters and a medal scene with characters including Han Solo and Skywalker. Coverage of the auction also notes that R2-D2 and C-3PO were added late, and that the update appeared when poster and billboard versions were produced around June or July 1977 (with the exact date unclear).
Key sale facts
| Detail | What was reported |
| Artwork | Tom Jung original Star Wars promotional painting later used in poster/marketing imagery |
| Sale price | $3.875 million (commonly rounded to $3.9 million) |
| Auction house / location | Heritage Auctions, Dallas |
| First known ad appearance | May 13, 1977 (newspaper advertisements) |
| Seller / provenance | Held by producer Gary Kurtz; sold by the Kurtz family |
| Buyer | Anonymous; bid placed through the auction website |
| Records cited in coverage | Record price for Star Wars memorabilia and for movie poster artwork |
Records, and the wider memorabilia market
The $3.875 million result surpassed the previous top price cited for Star Wars franchise memorabilia: Darth Vader’s lightsaber, which reportedly sold for $3.6 million. Auction coverage also framed the Jung painting as a benchmark for the narrower category of original movie-poster art, not only franchise collectibles.
Art-market trade coverage described the sale as part of a Heritage Auctions Hollywood memorabilia event in Dallas, reinforcing how entertainment collectibles continue to draw high-end bidders when provenance is strong and the image is widely recognized. In that same reporting, the painting’s ownership history—kept by producer Gary Kurtz after Jung created it—was highlighted as a factor that strengthened its credibility and appeal to top collectors.
How the price was reached
While auction houses do not always disclose bidder-by-bidder dynamics publicly, reporting on this sale indicates the winning bid arrived online and the buyer remained private, reflecting a common pattern in high-value collectibles where discretion is part of the transaction. The work’s marketing pedigree—debuting in 1977 newspaper ads and spreading across multiple advertising formats—also helped position it as more than a decorative object, effectively serving as a primary source artifact from the franchise’s launch era.
Just as importantly, the sale illustrates how original production-era materials can command higher prices than later reprints or mass-distributed posters, because a one-of-one artwork cannot be replicated in the same way as consumer merchandise. In trade coverage, the auction was also framed as record-setting within Heritage’s pop-culture collecting arena, signaling that premium lots tied to globally recognized IP can still attract multi-million-dollar bids despite changing conditions in broader art and luxury markets.
Timeline: from creation to record sale
| Year/Date | Event |
| May 13, 1977 | Jung painting appears in newspaper advertising ahead of the film’s release, according to reports. |
| June–July 1977 (approx.) | R2-D2 and C-3PO are added as the image evolves for poster/billboard production, with exact timing not fully pinned down in reports. |
| Dec. 10, 2025 (Wednesday) | Painting sells at Heritage Auctions in Dallas for $3.875 million, setting reported records. |
What happens next
Because the painting was presented in coverage as a new high-water mark for Star Wars memorabilia, market watchers will likely treat it as a reference point when other top-tier franchise items come to auction. The result may also increase attention on original key art—paintings and illustration boards that shaped movie marketing—especially for properties where a single image became closely tied to a film’s identity.
For readers tracking entertainment business and collectibles, the immediate next step is to watch whether comparable first-image or launch-era items from major franchises begin to trade at similar levels, and whether auction houses respond by bringing more poster-art originals to marquee sales. The Star Wars brand remains one of the most commercially successful film franchises since its 1977 debut, which helps explain why early, well-provenanced artifacts can still spark intense demand.
