Honestly, the This Is the End poster shouldn't have worked as well as it did. Most movie posters for big-budget comedies are just "floating heads" over a white background. You’ve seen them a thousand times. But when Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg decided to direct a movie about the actual biblical apocalypse happening during a Hollywood rager, the marketing had to be weirder. It had to feel like a party that went horribly, horribly wrong.
There’s this specific energy to the main theatrical one-sheet. You have these six guys—Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson—all crammed together, looking absolutely terrified. But they aren't looking at a monster. Not really. They’re looking at us. Or maybe at the fire behind us. It’s cluttered. It’s messy. It’s perfect.
The Chaos of the This Is the End Poster Design
If you look closely at the primary This Is the End poster, the first thing you notice is the blue-orange contrast. This is a classic Hollywood trope. Use orange for the fire and blue for the night sky. It creates visual tension. It pops on a theater wall. But what makes this one unique is the "meta" layering. These actors aren't playing characters named "Steve" or "Bob." They are playing "Seth Rogen" and "Jonah Hill."
The poster leans into this hard. The billing block at the top doesn't just list names; it presents them as a collective. It’s a "who’s who" of the 2013 comedy zeitgeist. By the time this movie dropped, these guys were the kings of the R-rated comedy world. Putting them all on one piece of paper felt like the Avengers for people who like weed jokes and existential dread.
There’s also the subtle detail of the "sinkhole." If you remember the film, a massive hole opens up in James Franco’s front yard. The poster hints at this verticality. The characters are positioned as if they are being pulled down, or perhaps climbing over one another to stay alive. It communicates the selfishness that drives the plot. These aren't heroes. They’re pampered celebrities who have no idea how to survive without an assistant or a juice bar.
The "Selfie" Variant and Social Media Impact
Remember, 2013 was the year the "selfie" really took over the world. The marketing team at Sony Pictures knew this. One of the alternative versions of the This Is the End poster featured the cast taking a photo of themselves while the world burned in the background. It was a biting satire of celebrity culture.
It also predicted a lot of how we consume disaster today. Think about it. Whenever something crazy happens now, the first instinct for many is to pull out a phone. The poster captured that narcissism perfectly. It wasn't just selling a movie; it was mocking the very people who were starring in it. That kind of self-awareness is rare in big-studio marketing. Usually, everyone wants to look cool. Here, they all looked like idiots.
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Why the International Posters Felt Different
Overseas marketing is a whole different beast. In some regions, the This Is the End poster had to lean more into the "action" elements because the specific brand of American improv comedy doesn't always translate perfectly. In the UK and Australian markets, you often saw posters that emphasized the supernatural creatures more than the internal dynamics of the house.
One version shows the guys standing on the roof of Franco’s house. The scale is much larger. You see the hills of Los Angeles on fire. It looks less like a character study and more like a traditional disaster flick. It’s interesting how a simple change in perspective—moving the camera back a hundred feet—changes the entire tone of the film’s promise. One says "watch these friends fight," the other says "watch the world end."
The Minimalism of the Teaser
Teaser posters are often better than the final theatrical ones. It’s a hill I’m willing to die on. The teaser for This Is the End was just a simple graphic of the title with flames licking the bottom of the frame. No faces. No names. Just the date: June 12.
It worked because the title itself is a double entendre. It’s the end of the world, sure. But it’s also the "end" of this era of comedy. People genuinely wondered if this was the last time this specific troupe would work together. It created a sense of urgency. You had to see it because it felt like an event, not just another Friday night release.
Art Direction and the "End of the World" Aesthetic
What’s wild is how much effort went into making the poster look "gritty." The lighting on the actors' faces is harsh. It’s meant to mimic the glow of a city-wide fire. Most comedy posters use "high-key" lighting—everything is bright, even, and safe. This poster went "low-key." Lots of shadows. Lots of sweat.
The font choice matters too. It’s bold, sans-serif, and slightly weathered. It looks like a warning sign. When you pair that with Danny McBride holding a shotgun and Craig Robinson looking like he’s about to cry, you get a tonal mix that shouldn't work. But it does. It tells you exactly what the movie is: 50% horror, 50% slapstick, and 100% chaotic.
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Where to Find Original Prints Today
If you’re looking to grab an original This Is the End poster, you have to be careful. The market is flooded with reprints. Authentic theatrical 27x40 double-sided posters are the gold standard for collectors. Why double-sided? Because they are designed to be placed in lightboxes at theaters. The ink is printed on both sides so that when a light shines through it, the colors stay vibrant and don't wash out.
- Check the dimensions: Real theatrical posters are almost always 27" x 40". If it’s 24" x 36", it’s a commercial reprint sold at malls.
- The Light Test: Hold a flashlight behind it. If you see the image mirrored on the back, it’s likely an original double-sided sheet.
- The "Feel": Original posters are printed on a heavier, glossier paper stock than the thin, matte paper used for cheap reproductions.
You can usually find these on sites like Heritage Auctions or specialized movie poster boutiques like Mondo (though they mostly do custom art) or MoviePoster.com. Prices vary, but since it's a cult classic now, they aren't exactly cheap anymore.
Misconceptions About the Cast Layout
A lot of people think the order of the actors on the poster is based on who is the "funniest." It’s actually all about contracts. "Top billing" is a legal negotiation. Seth Rogen and James Franco getting the central spots isn't just because they are the leads; it’s because their agents fought for those pixels.
Notice how Jonah Hill is slightly to the side but still prominent. At the time, he was coming off an Oscar nomination for Moneyball. His "value" was peaking. The poster is a snapshot of Hollywood power dynamics in the early 2010s. It’s a historical document as much as it is an advertisement.
Collecting the "Character" One-Sheets
Beyond the main group shot, there was a series of character-specific posters. These are much harder to find. Each one featured a single actor with a "survival" stat or a funny quote.
- James Franco: Usually depicted with some sort of "artistic" flair, mocking his real-life persona as a polymath.
- Danny McBride: Looking like a post-apocalyptic warlord. These are highly sought after by fans of Eastbound & Down.
- Craig Robinson: Often the funniest because his facial expressions are so purely "done with this."
Collectors often try to get the full set of six, but the McBride and Rogen ones usually sell for the most. If you’re looking to decorate a home theater, the character posters actually look better when framed in a row than the single group poster. It feels more intentional.
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The Legacy of the Poster's Style
You can see the influence of the This Is the End poster in later "ensemble" comedies. It moved the needle away from the boring, sterile look of the 2000s. It proved that you could have a dirty, dark, and scary-looking poster for a movie that was ultimately about friends arguing over a Milky Way bar.
It also signaled the beginning of the "meta" marketing era. Without this, we might not have seen the weird, self-referential posters for Deadpool or Barbie. It gave studios permission to be "in on the joke."
Practical Steps for Poster Enthusiasts
If you’re serious about owning a piece of this movie’s history, don't just buy the first thing you see on an auction site.
- Verify the Source: Look for sellers who specialize in cinema memorabilia, not just general "vintage" goods.
- Look for the "Advance" Version: These are the posters released months before the movie. They often have cooler art and no "coming soon" or credit blocks at the bottom, making them much cleaner for framing.
- Invest in UV Glass: If you get a real one, don't put it in a cheap plastic frame. The sun will destroy the orange and red pigments within a couple of years. Spend the extra $50 on UV-protective glass.
- Check for "Snipe" Stickers: Sometimes theaters would stick "Starts Friday" or "Now Playing" stickers directly onto the posters. For some collectors, this adds "theatrical provenance," but for most, it’s just damage. Know which one you prefer before you buy.
The This Is the End poster remains a high-water mark for 2010s comedy marketing. It managed to capture a very specific moment in pop culture when these six guys were the biggest things on the planet, and the world felt like it might actually be ending. It’s a mix of vanity, terror, and genuine friendship—which is exactly what the movie is about.
Whether you're a hardcore collector or just someone who wants a cool piece of nostalgia for your wall, understanding the layers of this design makes you appreciate the film even more. It wasn't just a photo shoot. It was a statement. Disaster is coming, and it’s going to be hilarious.