Original Avildsen, John Movie Posters

John Avildsen movie posters are dominated by two films that defined the underdog sports narrative for generations — Rocky (1976) and The Karate Kid (1984) — defined the underdog sports narrative for at least two generations of American filmgoers, creating templates of training-montage, mentor-student bonding, and triumphant climax that have been reprised so many times that the originals now carry both nostalgic and genuinely cinematic value.

Rocky, made for a million dollars with an unknown Sylvester Stallone as writer-star, won three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director — a remarkable achievement for a film that its distributor, United Artists, released with modest expectations. Its theatrical campaign is one of the great American sports movie posters: Stallone in the ring, arms raised, the Philadelphia skyline behind him. The poster became its own icon, reproduced across decades of parody, homage, and inspiration.

The Karate Kid (1984), with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita — whose Mr. Miyagi became one of cinema's great mentor figures — repeated the formula with equal success, generating its own warmly crafted campaign. Avildsen's other work includes Save the Tiger (1973), which brought Jack Lemmon an Oscar. Original US one-sheets from Rocky and The Karate Kid are now scarce in fine flat condition.

Find original theatrical prints from across his inspiring filmography — including the Oscar-winning Rocky and the enduring family classic The Karate Kid.

Browse alongside Rocky posters and The Karate Kid posters. All Film/Art Gallery movie posters and items are authenticated originals.