The poster on the left is domestic and the one on the right is international. For what it's worth, the domestic poster is a better piece of art. It is moodier, with more natural looking photo-shopping for the two leads. However, the international poster is interesting for two reasons. First of all, the international poster actually has alien imagery on the poster while the domestic one does not. Is this mere artistic choice, a choice to not reveal certain visual elements a month prior to release, or is Universal concerned that casual moviegoers will be turned off by explicit outer-space imagery in their western poster art? Second of all, most obviously, the international poster actually features (and bills) Olivia Wilde, while the domestic one leaves her off. So the question is, was the domestic omission a matter of trying to sell a more arch-typical 'two men against the world' western iconography, or is Universal somehow under the impression that putting Wilde on the poster (armed and ready no less) will turn off certain traditionalist segments of the audience? You make the call, but there you have it. Cowboys and Aliens opens on July 29th. Expect the phrase 'in glorious 2D' to be thrown around quite a bit in junkets.
Scott Mendelson
