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Artist Drew Struzan painted three works for the DVD covers for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

They each seem to follow quite a similar pattern with an iconic event in the foreground, minor characters in the middle foreground, headshots of the main heroes in the middle ground, enough lens flare to satisfy even JJ Abrams and a villain (Palpatine's current apprentice) at the rear, save that in the middle picture, the primary Sith antagonist, Count Dooku appears to be absent.

enter image description here

Has there been an official source (an interview with Struzan, for example) that explains the exclusion of Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus?

Note that this question was inspired by this [closed] question on movies.SE.

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    Likely because Dooku being a villain at the time was a "twist".
    – DBPriGuy
    Feb 14, 2017 at 14:32
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    Additionally, Darth Vader isn't really the primary antagonist of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - that would be either Palpatine or Grevious. So the "rule" you use to single out the poster for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones only really applies to the first poster anyway.
    – Dr R Dizzle
    Feb 14, 2017 at 14:34
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    Wow, you weren't kidding about the lens flare. Lens flare == cool, apparently.
    – Integration
    Feb 14, 2017 at 14:42
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    @Adamant - I don't see why not. That question is both closed and inadequately answered. Their loss is our gain.
    – Valorum
    Feb 14, 2017 at 22:46
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    @Adamant, the question on movies.se was poorly worded, leading to it's closure. My answer shows there is a factual way of answering Valorum's question, and that Valorum's question is not primarily opinion based. If they come to the conclusion of closing the question, why should this be bad behaviour on our part? (Bear in mind I don't really know the workings of the network as a whole)
    – Edlothiad
    Feb 15, 2017 at 0:36

2 Answers 2

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Drew had been asked by Lucas to make the characters mimic the poster for the 1965 film Dr Zhivago (Emphasis mine):

For drew, this was the first time an art director got in the way of a design and concept for a Star Wars poster. George Lucas had always just left it to drew to conceive his posters for Star Wars. He, the “art director” decided he wanted the main characters to mimic the pose from the 1965 film Dr. Zhivago. Not unusual this was for an art director to make aesthetic decisions but it was the first time while working with Lucasfilm and George Lucas. Drew made the best of it as he always had and made a striking poster regardless.
Drew Struzan - Attack of the Clones

It would seem that the inclusion of Count Dooku would've broken the similarity to the Dr Zhivago theme.

Dr Zhivago 1965 poster

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    I don’t understand how this reasoning applies to the omission of Count Dooku but not to that of Darth Maul or Darth Vader.
    – Konrad Rudolph
    Feb 14, 2017 at 17:15
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    @KonradRudolph - He wanted that particular picture (the second one) to resemble the painting from Doctor Zhivago.
    – Valorum
    Feb 14, 2017 at 18:14
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    @KonradRudolph, from the quote, you can see their talking particularly about the AotC poster, "the first time an art director got in the way of a design for a Star Wars poster." and "Lucas had always just left it to drew to conceive his posters for Star Wars. " This, clearly showing that Drew's idea would've possibly been to have Dooku, but the Art Director (Lucas) intervened.
    – Edlothiad
    Feb 14, 2017 at 18:43
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Drew Struzan actually has a series of sketches of the 'Attack of the Clones' poster, some of which do include Count Dooku.

In this first sketch Dooku is not yet here only Jango Fett,anakin,Padme,Obi Wan and Yoda.
In this first sketch Dooku is not included, only Jango Fett, Anakin, Padmé, Obi-Wan and Yoda.

In this sketch Count Dooku and Mace Windu are already inclued as well as C-3PO and R2-D2.
In this sketch Count Dooku and Mace Windu are included as well as C-3PO and R2-D2.

To be honest this sketch is the best among the sketches. Because it has a complete details and characters of the movie.
This has complete details and characters of the movie,which excludes dooku already like the offical poster T_T.

While this one has the sketch of the official poster made by drew struzan with tyranus excluded. How sad that the legend actor of his character was not included.
To be honest this sketch is the best among the sketches. Because it has a complete details and characters of the movie.This one is a sketch of the official poster (with Tyranus included). How sad that the legendary actor was not included.

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  • Now that is interesting
    – Valorum
    Apr 25, 2017 at 17:10
  • Yes it is especially when dooku is concluded
    – The Witch King of Angmar
    Apr 25, 2017 at 17:21
  • Valorum, were you surprised to see the sketches which includes Dooku.
    – The Witch King of Angmar
    Apr 25, 2017 at 17:27
  • Yes, I had no idea that these existed.
    – Valorum
    Apr 25, 2017 at 17:29
  • Valorum, time to include dooku at the official poster hahaha
    – The Witch King of Angmar
    Apr 25, 2017 at 17:47

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