<P> For the US release in 1977, 20th Century Fox commissioned a promotional film poster from the advertising agency Smolen, Smith and Connolly . They used the freelance artist Tom Jung who was given the brief of "good over evil". His poster, known as Style' A', depicted Luke Skywalker standing in a heroic pose, brandishing a shining lightsaber above his head, with Princess Leia below him, and a large, ghostly image of Darth Vader's helmet looming behind them . Some Fox executives considered this poster "too dark" and commissioned the Brothers Hildebrandt, a pair of well - known fantasy artists, to rework the poster for the UK release . When the film opened in British theaters, the Hildebrandts' Style' B' poster was used in cinema billboards . Fox and Lucasfilm subsequently decided that they wanted to promote the new film with a less stylised and more realistic depiction of the lead characters . Producer Gary Kurtz turned to the film poster artist Tom Chantrell, who was already well known for his prolific work for Hammer horror films, and commissioned a new version . Two months after Star Wars opened, the Hildebrandts' poster was replaced by Chantrell's Style' C' poster in UK cinemas . </P> <P> Lucasfilm hired Charles Lippincott as marketing director for Star Wars . As 20th Century Fox gave little support for marketing beyond licensing T - shirts and posters, Lippincott was forced to look elsewhere . He secured deals with Marvel Comics for a comic book adaptation, and with Del Rey Books for a novelization . A fan of science fiction, he used his contacts to promote the film at the San Diego Comic - Con and elsewhere within science fiction fandom . Worried that Star Wars would be beaten out by other summer films, such as Smokey and the Bandit, 20th Century Fox moved the release date to May 25, the Wednesday before Memorial Day . However, fewer than 40 theaters ordered the film to be shown . In response, the studio demanded that theaters order Star Wars if they wanted the eagerly anticipated The Other Side of Midnight based on the novel by the same name . </P> <P>--Producer Gary Kurtz, on when he realized Star Wars had become a cultural phenomenon </P> <P> Star Wars debuted on Wednesday, May 25, 1977, in fewer than 32 theaters, and eight more on Thursday and Friday . Kurtz said in 2002, "That would be laughable today ." It immediately broke box office records, effectively becoming one of the first blockbuster films, and Fox accelerated plans to broaden its release . Lucas himself was not able to predict how successful Star Wars would be . After visiting the set of the Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Lucas was sure Close Encounters would outperform the yet - to - be-released Star Wars at the box office . Spielberg disagreed, and felt Star Wars would be the bigger hit . Lucas proposed they trade 2.5% of the profit on each other's films; Spielberg took the trade, and still receives 2.5% of the profits from Star Wars . </P>

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