The 20 Most Iconic Film Posters That Shaped Movie History
Movie posters aren't only an advertising medium, as they are a work of art telling the whole story in a single photo. Some posters are so memorable and powerful that they end up becoming as popular as the movies themselves.
Regardless of whether it's a unique design, bold tagline, or haunting visuals, most iconic film posters will stay in our minds throughout our lives. In this post, we are all set to introduce the 20 most prolific and iconic film posters of all time.
Part 1. 20 Iconic Film Posters You Should Know
1. Jaws (1975)
Designer: Roger KastelIt is a simple, frightening, and memorable poster that features a swimmer at the surface with a gigantic shark underneath. ''You'll never go in the water again,'' and the vivid red headline made it ideal.

2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Designer: Indika Entertainment AdvertisingUma Thurman is lying on the bed while reading a pulp novel with a cigarette in her hand. The iconic film poster gives the feeling of an old book cover that provides the film its vintage feel and becomes a pop culture icon brilliantly.

3. Star Wars (1977)
Designer: Tom JungIn this movie poster, Luke Skywalker is holding the lightsaber above his head with Leia sitting beside him and Darth Vader's shadow appearing on the screen. This poster helped the Star Wars become a brilliant sensation worldwide.

4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Designer: Dawn BallieIt remains to be Clarice's face close up with the strange looking covering the mouth, and the mouth contains the skull pattern, which hints at the mystery and death. The haunting image tends to fit the creepy tone of the movie brilliantly.

5. The Godfather (1972)
Designer: S.Neil FujitaThis poster offers the simple title, white puppet strings, and black background with this minimalist design saying everything about the control and power. The poster has become the face of the Mafia genre and is heavily admired today.

6. Vertigio (1958)
Designer: Saul BassIn this poster, you can see the man falling into the swirling spiral, which remains a powerful visual of the confusion and fear. Saul Bass tends to use bold graphics to capture the dizzying plot of the movie, which changed the style of movie posters forever.

7. Alien (1979)
Designer: Philip GipsThe poster contains the mysterious egg with the green light coming from it, and the tagline ''In Space no one can hear you scream'' elevates the overall quality of the movie poster.

8. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Designer: Robert McGinnisAudrey Hepburn wearing a black dress, holding a cigarette, and pearls serves as a symbol of elegance in this poster. The poster has captured the romantic yet classic feel of the film.

9. Blade Runner (1982)
Designer: John AlvinDark city lights, a mysterious look from Harrison Ford, and flying cars have appeared in the movie poster. This movie poster has hinted at the future, which could be both broken and beautiful.

10. Metropolis
Designer: Heins Schulz-NeudamnThis poster reflects the art deco reboot with the towering skyscrapers as it has become of the most respected and talked movie posters of all time.

11. The Exorcist (1973)
Designer: Bill GoldThe poster talks about the Priest under the streetlight outside the house with fog all around. The movie poster is quite but eerie, showing the real power of suggestion in horror. The movie poster also tends to create fear without showing anything violent.

12. Trainspotting (1996)
Designer: StylorougeBlack and white photos of the fast, containing the bright orange text, have made this post look brilliant. The poster felt real, edgy, and young, like the film itself, elevating the reputation of the movie.

13. Chinatown (1974)
Designer: Jum PearsallIt is a dreamy, smoke-like photo of Faye Dunaway coupled with the detective silhouette of Jack Nicholson, and this aspect has surely made this poster look watchable and stylish.

14. Psycho (1960)
Designer: Tony PalladinoThe shocked Janet Leigh, bold yellow text, and the split design blessed the viewers with the hint that this movie is unique in various ways.

15. Dr.NO (1962)
Designer: Mitchell HooksIt is the first James Bond poster that shows Sean Connery with confidence and a fan. The movie poster started the long tradition of the action-filled Bond posters that impress the audience worldwide.

16. Back to the Future
Designer: Drew StruzenThe poster is all about Marty McFly looking at his watch next to the glowing DeLorean, showing that it's all about time travel. The painting styles of the movie poster gave it the perfect vibe and look.

17. Scarface (1983)
Designer: Bill GoldA straightforward black and white image of Tony Montana with a gun and the Scarface inscription in red. This poster has become the ultimate symbol of ambition, power, and crime.

18. Titanic (1997)
Designer: BLT CommunicationsRose and Jack have embraced above the famous ship and giving the tragedy and romance in one photo. The poster showed the loss and love like the story as it has become as emotional as the movie itself.

19. A Clockwork organge (1971)
Designer: Philip CastleIt is Alex's intense stare, a knife, and a triangle frame that make this poster look strange and stylish. This poster perfectly matches the movie's disturbing but artistic tone.

20. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Designer: Richard AmselIt is an old school hand-painted poster that shows Indiana Jones with his whip, which is ready for action. The poster of the movie conveys adventure vibes as it has become one of the golden standards for action films.

Part 2. The Best Tool to Make Posters with HitPaw FotorPea
Creating the movie posters quickly is only a matter of a few moments, thanks to the excellent features of the HitPaw FotorPea. It enables you to generate the images from the text description, and selecting from the majestic image styles is also on the cards.
HitPaw FotorPea also allows you to generate multiple photos simultaneously without adding a watermark to the images.
Features
- Enables you to rapidly create movie posters.
- Provides a simple user interface
- Works on Mac and Windows
- Create multiple movie posters simultaneously
- Enhance the generated movie posters
- No watermark in the generated images
- Eliminate the unwanted objects from images
- Choose from the variety of image styles
How to generate the movie posters with HitPaw FotorPea?
Step 1: Click the AI generating icon after launching HitPaw FotorPea on the computer.

Step 2: Select the Text to Image icon and then choose the text description of the type of movie posters you wish to create.

Step 3: Choose the image resolution and size of the photos, and then select the Generate icon to initiate creating the images. Next, you'll need to preview the pictures and then hit the Generate button to initiate creating the images.

Bottom Line
Most iconic movie posters have surely revolutionized the film industry, as a lot of people consider watching a movie by looking at the movie poster. We've listed the 20 iconic film posters that have been liked by a lot of people worldwide, and these movie posters will force you to watch the movie at some stage.
HitPaw FotorPea is also highlighted in this guide, which allows you to generate the most iconic film posters in original image quality. It lets you select from the many image styles without inserting the watermark in the images.
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Daniel Walker
Editor-in-Chief
My passion lies in bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and everyday creativity. With years of hands-on experience, I create content that not only informs but inspires our audience to embrace digital tools confidently.
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