Saul Bass's movie posters rejected by Stanley Kubrick

These pieces are among the 300 versions rejected that the legendary American graphic designer and filmmaker Saul Bass produced to create one of the most iconic movie posters of all time for one of the greatest movies ever made in cinematic history, “The Shining” by Stanley Kubrick. The rejections became famous because of Kubrick's handwritten critiques.

The final approved "One-Sheet" (27x41 inches) features the iconic pointillist face peering through the letter "T" on a stark yellow background. This grueling design process remains a testament to Kubrick’s uncompromising control over every visual detail of his work.

Released in 1980, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining transformed Stephen King’s novel into a masterpiece of psychological horror. The film follows Jack Torrance’s descent into madness while caretaking the isolated Overlook Hotel—a production filmed mostly at England's Elstree Studios using revolutionary Steadicam techniques.