THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
TITLE: The Final Countdown
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YEAR: 1980
FILM STUDIO: The Bryna Company / United Artists
DIRECTOR: Don Taylor
CAST: Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross, James Farentino, Ron O’Neal, Charles Durning
TAGLINE: “On December 7th, 1980 — The nuclear carrier USS Nimitz disappeared in the Pacific… and reappeared December 7th, 1941… the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour.”
GENRE: Science Fiction — AFI officially classifies the film as Science Fiction. AFI Catalog
POSTER PRINTER: Robert Burton Printers Pty. Ltd.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES:
Original Australian Daybill dominated by a dramatic painted image of the USS Nimitz passing through a turbulent time-warp, with a 1941-era aircraft carrier and wartime aircraft below. The artwork uses strong blue, green and electric-yellow tones to emphasise the time-travel phenomenon. The bold orange-and-white The Final Countdown title sits against a black field, with small cast portraits and full production credits below. The supplied poster clearly carries the Robert Burton Printers Pty. Ltd. credit along the lower edge.
COLLECTOR’S NOTES:
The Final Countdown combines science fiction, naval aviation and World War II history, with the modern nuclear-powered USS Nimitz transported back to the Pacific immediately before the attack on Pearl Harbor. AFI confirms Don Taylor as director and Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen and Katharine Ross among the principal cast. AFI Catalog
The production was made with significant cooperation from the United States Navy and Department of Defense, with filming taking place aboard the real USS Nimitz. AFI Catalog That gives the poster particularly good crossover appeal for collectors of military aviation, naval history, time-travel cinema and 1980s science fiction.
A further cult-film connection: Lloyd Kaufman, later famous for Troma Entertainment, served as an associate producer on the film. AFI Catalog
PROVENANCE:
This original Australian cinema poster is being sold directly by the family of its original collector, a projectionist who screened films during their Australian theatrical release. It is supplied with documented provenance and a Certificate of Authenticity confirming its originality and collection history, providing a direct connection between the poster and its working Australian cinema past.