The Movie Poster That Could Be Worth $203,000 In 2025

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Movies can cost a lot of money to make and, depending on if they are a hit at the box office or not, might generate a fair amount of profit. However, there's another facet to movie money you might not think of — merchandise. This is especially true for older movies in which the value of physical items has only gone up in value, much like the resale of classic VHS tapes, Disney movies, or even old DVDs that can be worth a lot of money. Other movie-related objects that can come with high prices in 2025 are original movie posters. In fact, Screencrush released a list of the 20 most expensive movie posters of all time, and even the last place listing is still worth an eye-popping $203,000 in 2025.

This distinction goes to the 1925 film version of "The Phantom of the Opera" starring Lon Chaney Senior. Screencrush noted that this cinematic masterpiece kicked off a string of Universal Monster movies in the early days of Hollywood, some of which also have theatrical posters that can fetch a high value at auction. Some of those posters include a found version of the 1931 "Frankenstein" worth $358,500, the original cut of the 1933 "The Invisible Man" valued at $274,850, and a style-A one sheet of the 1931 "Dracula" film that is worth $525,800.

While the "Phantom of the Opera" poster might seem like an expensive purchase, it's nothing compared to the original "Metropolis" poster, released in Germany in 1927. That poster, according to Guinness World Records, remains the most expensive movie poster ever sold, for £393,300 in 2005, which amounts to $690,000.

What makes the poster for "Metropolis" so pricey? Not only is the Fritz Lang film considered to be one of the most revolutionary pieces of cinema ever, but the poster is only one of four that is currently known to be in existence, with three others remaining at New York's Museum of Modern Art, Berlin's Film Museum, and one in a private collection. Other, more affordable, versions of the poster still cost a pretty penny to own, including the French eight-panel re-release poster from 1984 that a seller on eBay has listed for $2,449, as of August 2025.