The world of cinema and poster art mourns a giant. Drew Struzan, the iconic illustrator behind some of Hollywood’s most enduring movie posters, has passed away at the age of 78. His death was confirmed on October 13, 2025.
Born on March 18, 1947, in Oregon City, Oregon, Struzan studied at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where he honed the skills that would define his career. Early in his career, he made album covers for major acts such as The Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, Earth, Wind & Fire and Alice Cooper. His Welcome to My Nightmare cover becoming particularly celebrated.
In the mid-1970s, Struzan began to turn his talents toward film posters. After working on smaller B-movies, his career took a turning point when he contributed to the re-release campaign of Star Wars in 1978. This led to a long and fruitful association with the Lucasfilm and Spielberg worlds.
Over his lifetime, he created more than 150 film posters, including striking artwork for Blade Runner, E.T., Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, The Shawshank Redemption, The Goonies, and many others. His style is marked by a warm, luminous quality, often achieved through airbrush techniques, giving his images a timeless and emotionally resonant appeal.
Unlike many who try to cram a poster with every plot point, Struzan preferred to evoke mood and feeling rather than literal narrative. He believed a poster should hint at what’s to come and stir anticipation, not summarise the story. In a 2021 interview, he emphasised this approach: “I’m looking to give a person a feeling about something they could hope for.” He also often worked closely with filmmakers to understand the emotional core or essence they wanted to convey, then distilled that into a singular, powerful image.
Struzan formally retired in 2008 after completing the poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, he never fully stepped away. He occasionally returned for special projects, including posters for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and How to Train Your Dragon. In March 2025, his wife revealed that Struzan had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and was no longer able to paint or sign works. Over time, the disease advanced, and on October 13, 2025, he died, leaving behind a legacy that transcends mere movie marketing.
Tributes poured in from across the industry. Jim Lee of DC Comics called him “a giant among giants” for his ability to infuse humanity and emotion into his subjects. Filmmakers like Steven Spielberg also reflected on how Struzan’s art helped elevate their films into cultural touchstones. The documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster, released in 2013, captured the breadth of his influence, featuring interviews with collaborators like George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Michael J. Fox, and others.
To many moviegoers, Struzan’s work was as familiar as the films themselves. His posters were often the first encounter audiences had with a film, packaging its emotional promise in a single frame. Few artists have so powerfully shaped the visual memory of cinema. In an era now dominated by digital marketing and CGI-laden previews, Struzan’s hand-painted images remind us of a time when one-sheet artwork was a portal into imagination. He bridged the gap between fine art and commercial illustration, elevating poster design into a revered craft.
While he is gone, his images will continue to inspire and to carry people, upon first glance, into the worlds of adventure, wonder, fear, and hope.
