Historic Star Wars Original Artwork Sells for Record-Breaking $3.9 Million at Auction

The painting first appeared in May 1977.

The iconic painting that introduced "Star Wars" to the world almost five decades ago - which was transformed into the legendary movie poster - has been sold at auction for an impressive $3.875 million.

Created by artist and movie poster designer Tom Jung, this acrylic and airbrush masterpiece initially appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, approximately two weeks before George Lucas's space epic premiered. The artwork was prominently featured on billboards, in magazine advertisements, and theater programs.

Charles Epting, director of pop culture and historical consignments at Heritage Auctions, noted, "For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse of the galaxy far, far away."

"Star Wars" producer Gary Kurtz had kept the original painting displayed on his office wall before it was passed down to his daughter. The Kurtz family later decided to auction the work at Heritage Auctions' Dallas headquarters, where bidding commenced at $1 million.

The sale established new records as the highest-selling piece of memorabilia from the film franchise and for any movie poster artwork, according to Epting. The buyer, who submitted the winning bid through the website, has chosen to remain anonymous.

Previously, the highest price for franchise memorabilia was Darth Vader's lightsaber, which sold at auction for $3.6 million.

Since its 1977 debut starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, "Star Wars" has become one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time. The original film spawned numerous sequels and prequels, and generated offshoot books, movies, and series. Its passionate fan base extends worldwide.

One side of the painting depicts Skywalker raising a lightsaber behind Princess Leia, with Darth Vader looming ominously in the background. The other side shows a team of X-wing starfighters launching an attack. Han Solo and Skywalker are illustrated receiving medals.

In the lower right corner are R2-D2 and C-3PO, which Epting revealed were added at the last minute. The droids were absent from early reproductions of the painting and only appeared when the movie poster and billboard were produced around June or July 1977.

"You can watch the evolution of this piece and how they were figuring out what was important to include, what are we going to represent, what's going to draw people in," Epting explained.

Beyond being film memorabilia, the painting represents a cultural artifact and part of American history, according to Epting. The emotional connection people form with "Star Wars" movies also helps explain the substantial sales price.

"Anyone who's seen these movies or the marketing materials around it - you see this piece, your heart starts racing," Epting said.