The most expensive movie poster ever sold is a 1927 Metropolis international poster, which reportedly changed hands for $690,000 in a dealer sale in London in November 2005. The highest price paid at auction is $525,800, for a 1931 Dracula one-sheet at Heritage Auctions in Dallas in November 2017. This list ranks the ten highest verified prices for printed movie posters, as of October 2026. A separate section covers the 2025 record for original poster artwork.
| Rank | Poster | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metropolis (1927), international poster | $690,000 | November 2005 | Reel Poster Gallery, London (dealer) |
| 2 | Dracula (1931), style A one-sheet | $525,800 | November 2017 | Heritage Auctions, Dallas |
| 3 (tie) | Casablanca (Italian poster) | $478,000 | 2017 | Heritage Auctions |
| 3 (tie) | London After Midnight (1927) | $478,000 | December 2014 | Heritage Auctions |
| 5 | The Mummy (1932) | about $453,500 | 1997 | Sotheby’s New York |
| 6 | King Kong (1933), three-sheet | $388,375 | 2012 | Heritage Auctions, Dallas |
| 7 | Casablanca (1942), US six-sheet | $384,000 | 2020 | Heritage Auctions |
| 8 | Frankenstein (1931), six-sheet | $358,500 | 2015 | Heritage Auctions |
| 9 | Metropolis (1927), German three-sheet | $357,750 | 2000 | Sotheby’s |
| 10 | The Black Cat (1934), style B one-sheet | $334,600 | 2007 | Heritage Auctions, Dallas |
1. Metropolis international poster: $690,000
Fritz Lang’s 1927 science fiction film produced one of the most striking posters in cinema history, and very few survive. A copy reportedly sold for $690,000 (£393,300) in November 2005, the figure listed by Guinness World Records as the highest ever for a film poster. It was a sale through a London dealer, not an auction, which is why the highest auction price is lower.
How we valued it: dealer sale price as published; not an auction result.
2. Dracula style A one-sheet: $525,800
One of only two known surviving one-sheets for the Bela Lugosi original. It had been estimated at up to $300,000 before Heritage sold it in Dallas in November 2017 for $525,800 including the buyer’s premium. It was the highest auction price for a movie poster at the time, and as far as we can tell it still is.
How we valued it: hammer plus premium, as published by Heritage.
3. Casablanca Italian poster: $478,000 (tie)
Heritage sold this Italian-release poster for $478,000 in 2017. Casablanca is the rare non-horror title near the top of the list, and several Casablanca posters have each fetched several hundred thousand dollars at Heritage.
How we valued it: price with premium, per the auction house.
4. London After Midnight: $478,000 (tie)
Lon Chaney’s 1927 silent horror film is itself lost, with no known surviving print. The poster is the only surviving copy, and Heritage sold it on 2 December 2014 for $478,000, a record at that time.
How we valued it: same basis, premium included.
5. The Mummy: about $453,500
Sotheby’s New York sold a 1932 Mummy poster in 1997 for about $453,500, the highest auction price for a film poster for eight years. Only two copies are believed to exist.
How we valued it: 1997 price, not adjusted for inflation.
6. King Kong three-sheet: $388,375
A three-sheet is 41 by 81 inches, three times the size of a regular one-sheet. This 1933 King Kong example was in unusually mint condition. Heritage sold it in Dallas in 2012 for $388,375.
How we valued it: premium included, per Heritage.
7. Casablanca US six-sheet: $384,000
A big American six-sheet from 1942, valued for better portraits of the stars than most copies. It sold at Heritage in 2020 for $384,000.
How we valued it: 1997 price, premium included.
8. Frankenstein six-sheet: $358,500
The only known six-foot example of the 1931 poster. A collector found it in a closed cinema on Long Island, and it sold at Heritage in 2015 for $358,500.
How we valued it: premium included.
9. Metropolis German three-sheet: $357,750
Few posters from the film’s original release survive, and this one carries German text. Sotheby’s sold it in 2000 for $357,750.
How we valued it: 2000 price, not adjusted for inflation.
10. The Black Cat style B one-sheet: $334,600
The 1934 Universal horror film with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Heritage sold this poster in Dallas in 2007 for $334,600. A Bride of Frankenstein poster from 1935 reached the same price at Heritage in a different sale.
How we valued it: premium included, per Heritage.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no new record for a printed poster in 2025 or 2026. A Frankenstein one-sheet reportedly made $312,000 in 2023, just outside the list.
The record that did move is for original poster artwork. In December 2025, Heritage Auctions sold Tom Jung’s painting for the Star Wars half-sheet for $3.875 million, which Heritage called the most expensive piece of movie poster art ever sold at auction. A Frank Frazetta original made for the Luana poster sold at Heritage in November 2025 for $1.75 million. Both are original paintings, not printed posters, so we keep them out of the ranking.
What drives these prices
- Horror and science fiction from 1927 to 1935. Most of the entries are films from 1927 to 1935, with Casablanca the main exception.
- Survival rates. Studios recalled posters after a run, so most were destroyed. Copies found in attics are the exception.
- Size and condition. Bigger sheets such as three-sheets and six-sheets tell their own story, and folds are priced in.
- Single-copy status. The poster for London After Midnight is the only copy of a film that no longer exists.
- Modern posters. Printed in huge numbers, they sell for a tiny fraction of these prices.
Where to buy
- Frankenstein: on Amazon
- Flying Down to Rio: on Amazon
- King Kong: on Amazon
- Dracula: on Amazon
- The Black Cat: on Amazon
- The Bride of Frankenstein: on Amazon
- The Black Cat (another edition): on Amazon
- Metropolis: on Amazon
- The Mummy: on Amazon
- Metropolis (another edition): on Amazon
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What is the most expensive movie poster ever sold?
A 1927 Metropolis international poster, sold for $690,000 in a 2005 dealer sale in London.
What is the most expensive movie poster sold at auction?
The 1931 Dracula style A one-sheet, which made $525,800 at Heritage Auctions in November 2017.
Which movie has the most valuable posters?
Universal’s early horror films dominate, with Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Black Cat all on the list, plus Metropolis and Casablanca.
Has a new record been set recently?
Not for printed posters. The 2025 records were for original poster artwork, led by the $3.875 million Star Wars painting at Heritage.
How much is a modern movie poster worth?
Usually little. Most modern posters were printed in large numbers, and even old titles often sell for under a few hundred dollars.
How we put this list together
We ranked posters by verified sale price, using auction results and published dealer records. Prices are approximate, include premium where stated, are not adjusted for inflation and change as new lots sell.
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Last updated: October 2026.
