George Lucas & Lucasfilm Pay Tribute To Drew Struzan: “An Artist Of The Highest Order”

George Lucas and Lucasfilm honor the late Drew Struzan following the poster artist and illustrator’s pᴀssing. Struzan is the artist behind some of the most iconic movie posters in history, including those for The Thing (1982), Back to the Future (1985), and numerous classic Lucasfilm тιтles in the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises.

Struzan pᴀssed away on October 13 at the age of 78, several years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Lucas has now shared a statement on the Lucasfilm website, paying tribute to the artist and his legendary career. Read Lucas’ comment below:

“Drew was an artist of the highest order. His illustrations fully captured the excitement, tone and spirit of each of my films his artwork represented. His creativity, through a single illustrated image, opened up a world full of life in vivid color…even at a glance. I was lucky to have worked with him time and time again.”

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also shared kind words about Struzan, highlighting his unique artistic style and his contributions to some of the most iconic movies in Hollywood history. She calls his work “timeless“ and praises the way he elevated audience relationships to the movies for which he created posters:

“When one thinks of iconic movie poster artists, Drew Struzan is the first name that comes to mind. Drew’s unforgettable artwork has touched so many hearts throughout the years, and I have been thankful to have worked with him on films such as E.T., Back to the Future, Hook, and the Indiana Jones series. His artwork is so imaginative, so beautiful, it elevated the movie-going experience for those films before audiences even stepped foot into a theater. Drew’s work is timeless, and will undoubtedly inspire both artists and film lovers for generations to come.”

Struzan’s death was confirmed on Tuesday with a poster from his official Instagram account. “It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Drew Struzan has moved on from this world as of yesterday, October 13th,” the poster reads. “I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art.”

Harrison Ford and Sean Connery on the poster for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Struzan created posters for over 150 films, becoming a go-to artist for the likes of Lucas and Steven Spielberg. His art style was one defined by bold designs, dramatic compositions, and plenty of color. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg also honored the late artist:

“Drew made event art. His posters made many of our movies into destinations … and the memory of those movies and the age we were when we saw them always comes flashing back just by glancing at his iconic pH๏τorealistic imagery. In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew.”

One of Struzan’s most beloved early works is the poster for the 1978 re-release of Star Wars: A New Hope, a poster for which he collaborated with Charles White III. This poster later became known as the “Circus Poster,” though it’s still Tom Jung’s poster that remains the one most closely ᴀssociated with A New Hope.

Luke and Leia in a Star Wars A New Hope poster

Struzan went on to make posters for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), too. As with A New Hope, these posters aren’t the ones most ᴀssociated with these films, but the same can’t be said for the Star Wars prequels.

Struzan’s poster work defines the promotional art style for The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005). It is these posters that are widely used on streaming service tiles and Blu-ray covers to this day.

All three of the main theatrical posters for the Indiana Jones movies were also Struzan’s work. In addition, Struzan made posters for a number of other films, including The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), The Goonies (1985), Blade Runner (1982), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Risky Business (1983), and Coming to America (1988), among many others.

For Lucas, Struzan was evidently a cherished collaborator. Though Struzan’s work inspired countless other artists, it’s clear that Hollywood has lost a creative mind that played a significant role in shaping how audiences thought of some of the most beloved films ever made.