History CoversAlwaysLie / LiveActionFilm

* ''Film/{{Boa}}'' was repackaged and sold under the title ''New Alcatraz'', with the DVD box being rather coy about the fact that it is actually a killer snake Film/SyFyChannelOriginalMovie.
* The [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084424/mediaindex?ref_=tt_pv_mi_sm covers]] for ''TheNewBarbarians'' aka ''WarriorsOfTheWasteland'' largely ignore Scorpion in favor of every other character, including the lead villain. As a bonus, Fred Williamson gets a ''RaceLift'' into a white man.
* The [[http://www.impawards.com/1980/when_time_ran_out_xlg.html original poster]] for ''Film/WhenTimeRanOut'' shows only the three main stars, some helicopters, a vague explosion, and a man dangling from some sort of sci-fi elevator. Combined with the tagline - "Caught in a game of power. Playing time: 24 hours. Prize: Untold riches. Rules: None." - it makes it seem like some sort of action-packed political thriller. It's actually a disaster movie about a volcanic eruption; the "game of power" is just one of many subplots that sets up character conflicts before the mountain blows.
* The [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B00196SMX6 Blu-ray cover]] for the "Special Edition" of ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'' (The 1967 Adam West one) makes it look like one of the later, darker, non-comedy movies.
* The cover for the direct-to-video movie ''Film/MyPetMonster'' showed the actual toy that the movie was named after (and loosely based on), but the monster in the actual movie looks nothing like that.
* The cover for the movie ''Film/BlueValentine'' features the two leads along with the words "A love story". Oh honey. This is NOT a love story. Far from it.
* The [[http://www.impawards.com/1993/bronx_tale_ver1.html poster and tagline]] of Creator/RobertDeNiro's ''Film/ABronxTale'' makes the movie seem like an outright war between De Niro's and Chazz Palminteri's characters (an ordinary father and a local crime boss, respectively) over the life of the former's son, who is apparently getting caught up in the latter's evil crime syndicate. Their rivalry is barely noticeable, and they spent a mere two scenes together. The crime boss isn't a bad guy either: the movie is actually a ComingOfAgeStory, and he functions as the son's mentor, repeatedly advising him not to follow him in his criminal lifestyle and making sure he doesn't get himself into trouble. Also, at no point in the movie does the son [[StuffBlowingUp have to run away from a huge explosion]].
* This [[https://www.amazon.com/Black-Cloud-Tim-Mcgraw/dp/B0013VC8SC dvd cover]] for the boxing film ''Film/BlackCloud''. Although Cloud is the main character, of the four characters displayed he is pushed all the way to the back. Music/TimMcGraw and Ricky Schroder occupy more of the cover than the protagonists.
* Both ''Film/SleepawayCampIIUnhappyCampers'' and ''Film/SleepawayCampIIITeenageWasteland'' feature hot, psycho chicks on the cover who are not Pamela Springsteen.
* ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'': The poster looks like a typical crime movie. The incredibly vague tagline would make sense to those who have seen the film, but those who haven't would have no idea of the [[spoiler:[[Main/GenreShift vampire twist halfway through the film]]]]
** The 2011 Echo Bridge release of the film on Blu-ray mistakenly included a picture of Rebecca Gayheart on the back cover even though she doesn't actually appear in the film. The picture was taken from the prequel ''[[Film/FromDuskTillDawn3TheHangmansDaughter The Hangman's Daughter]]''.
* A lesser example: ''Film/AmericanPsycho'''s uncut edition has a blurb on the back cover that states that Patrick Bateman rapes his female victims too. Yet not once is it shown or implied in the film that he actually rapes anybody. This was probably done as a ploy to get fans who hadn't seen the uncut edition to buy the DVD.
* The reprint of ''Film/TheLastHouseOnTheLeft'' (1972) makes the cover look so modern that it is [[http://dvdmedia.ign.com/dvd/image/object/143/14301660/houseboxart_160w.jpg easily mistaken for the 2009 remake of the film]]; it also doesn't appear to use the original actress on the cover. Only in tiny-text does it say on the bottom of the box that it is the 1972 version of the film. Arguably it says that it is written and directed by Wes Craven on the front, which the remake was not.
* The original BluRay back cover for ''Film/AtlasShrugged'' stated it was a film about "self-sacrifice." Anyone who'd seen the film or read anything Ayn Rand wrote would know she and her protagonists had nothing but contempt for self-sacrifice.
* The Hong Kong film ''[[Film/TheInfernalAffairsTrilogy Infernal Affairs]]'' is a subtle thriller with four male leads, but all the female leads are as window dressing. Unfortunately for the international poster, a random chick with a gun who never appears in the movie was added for titillation. The poster looks a campy Bond knockoff instead of a cop movie.
* The DVD cover for the Creator/MikeJudge movie ''Film/OfficeSpace'' features Creator/JenniferAniston on all 3 pictures on the back and the spine, but she's only on screen for barely 1/4 of the movie.
* The poster for ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' chose some... interesting positions to place the actors in relative to their characters' roles in the film. In particular, Layla is crammed into the back-right corner, and Warren is posed to look as menacing as possible.
* Creator/LivTyler in the DVD of ''Film/ThatThingYouDo''.
* The back of the DVD cover for ''Film/{{Tootsie}}'' features an image of Creator/DustinHoffman's character, Michael, kissing his coworker Julie while in full [[WholesomeCrossdresser Dorothy Michaels]] regalia, even though the two never kiss at any time while he is dressed as a woman.
* The ''Film/{{Wishmaster}}'' DVD cover suggests the villain is a vampire; he's actually a [[JackassGenie genie]].
* The most commonly-used poster for the Creator/WoodyAllen film ''Film/CrimesAndMisdemeanors'' shows Allen and Creator/MartinLandau sitting next to each other, implying the film is about the two of them. While each of them is the star of his own story within the film, the two interact with each other exactly once.
* ''[[WebAnimation/KlayWorld Klay World: Off the Table]]''. The DVD cover makes it look like one of those cheap, direct-to-video family movies. Although it IS cheap and direct-to-video, the language and violent (albeit cartoony) on-screen deaths proves that this ain't a kids flick. The writer/director lampshades this in one of the DVD commentaries.
* The American ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'' DVD case goes out of its way to obscure the central concept of the movie (that Death is replacing the Discworld's Santa Claus for a night... for instance, his servant Albert appears on the cover, but not Death himself), and prominently features the young actors who play Bilious and Violet (who aren't really involved in the action). The whole effect is to make the whole thing seem much less dark.
** A second edition DVD released in the States is only a marginal improvement; the new cover art focuses on Susan Sto Helit, who is more central to the plotline than Albert, with the two kids. But there's no images of Death on either the front or back of the cover.
* The cover of a live-action adaptation of ''Literature/AnimalFarm'' made the movie seem like any other nice, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids kid-friendly]] movie about {{talking animal}}s. The plot summary on the back even used words like "delightful" and "charming" in its description...
* Releases of ''Film/TheLavenderHillMob'' make much of the fact that Audrey Hepburn has a role in it - the blurb spends more time talking about that than it does about the plot of the film, in fact. In reality, [[RetroactiveRecognition the film was made long before Hepburn was famous, and she's in it for maybe ten seconds.]]
* [[http://curiosando708090.altervista.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/la-casa-locandina.jpg The Italian poster]] for ''Film/TheEvilDead1981'', which not only implies a HauntedHouse movie right from the title, but also tricks people by using [[Film/{{Psycho}} the freaking Bates House]] as their 'Haunted House'.
* The poster and DVD cover of ''Film/{{Apocalypto}}'' makes it look like Middle-Eye is the main character. He's actually TheDragon.
* Look at [[http://vhscollector.com/movie/little-shop-horrors-3 this]] video cover for ''Film/TheLittleShopOfHorrors''. What's wrong with this picture? Creator/JackNicholson's part is only about two minutes long, and the plant isn't even in that scene.
* The girl standing with Creator/NicolasCage in the movie poster for ''Film/ValleyGirl'' is not actually the titular character played by Deborah Foreman. WordOfGod says that the model in the poster is the actress who actually plays the ex-girlfriend of Cage's character. A budget DVD release of ''Film/ValleyGirl'' with ''Film/TheSureThing'' (as the ''Totally Awesome 80s Double Feature: The Sure Thing / Valley Girl'') has Foreman's head obviously Photoshopped onto the other actress' body on the front cover.
* Speaking of Cage, There exists a DVD/Blu-Ray cover of ''Film/LeftBehind2014'' which includes screenshots on the back of the cover of Nicolas Cage walking around in front of a crashed plane during daytime. While this is seen at the end of the film, it is during the night time when it happens and Cage's character is wearing his pilot-captain's uniform insted of a casual looking jacket. It turns out that the screenshots in question are actually from the other apocalyptic disaster-themed Nic Cage movie, ''Film/{{Knowing}}.''
* The posters and most promotional material for ''Air America'' depict it as a light-hearted buddy romp. The poster is Creator/MelGibson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr smiling at the audience. However, this is a film set during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, about opium trading and corrupt generals, and it's also based on a non-fiction book.
* When ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia: Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' hit the cinemas, the BBC re-released their direct to TV version on DVD with ... artwork really resembling the Cinema version.
* Look at the 2006 [[https://www.amazon.com/Carousel-50th-Anniversary-Gordon-MacRae/dp/B000HT3PFG DVD cover]] of Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein's ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', and you'll see Gordon Mcrae whisper sweet nothings into Shirley Jones's ear, as they stand near a carousel while green grass grows and colorful balloons float into the sky. Watch the actual movie, and you'll be treated to a musical about a ''{{Domestic Abuse}}r'' who [[DisappearedDad dies during his wife's pregnancy]]. Also, when they meet at that carousel, no grass is growing, no balloons float into the sky, and the sun doesn't even shine, since it's nighttime.
* The movie about Norwegian War Hero Max Manus, a muted, tense story about the Norwegian Resistance during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the eponymous character, had a fairly indicative poster and cover in the original release. The international cover has [[http://www.improveyourfuture.co.uk/blog/content/binary/maxmanus.jpg this picture]] instead, from a very brief backstory action scene. Not quite lying as much as stretching the truth a lot, though.
* Judging by the poster for ''[[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2922094336/tt0052188 She Gods Of Shark Reef]]'' you'd think the movie was all kinds of awesome. In reality it's an hour long slog, badly shot and horribly dubbed, with nothing happening.
* The cover for ''Film/MazesAndMonsters'' makes it appear to be a dark fantasy story, with a picture of a labyrinth, a dark tower, and a night sky filled with bats. Turns out it's just an {{Anvilicious}} story based on the D&D scare of the early '80s. Also, the picture of Creator/TomHanks on the cover was taken years after the movie was made.
* Of the five "[[http://gamesyouloved.com/media/178857/pixels_movie_arcade_posters.jpg Arcade posters]]" for ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', three show the aliens attacking cities they don't even visit in the film itself, and two have VideoGame/PacMan and VideoGame/DonkeyKong as an AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever instead of being barely twice the height of human as they are in the film. Moreover, Donkey Kong is seen attacking a city, while in the movie [[spoiler:he's the final boss and doesn't leave the Mothership.]]
* The [[http://content6.flixster.com/movie/10/98/65/10986520_det.jpg cover]] of the film ''Slaughter In The Ring'' declares the star of the film to be a muscular fellow named Lee Van Dorn....except no one named Lee Van Dorn is in the movie. The cover also features a blonde woman holding a shotgun who doesn't appear in the movie, and the back cover has a picture of a funeral scene that is nowhere to be found in the film.
* The Troma Collectors' Edition cover of the godawful sex comedy ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085547/mediaviewer/rm3614441984 The First Turn-On]]!'' boasts that co-star Creator/VincentDOnofrio (in his rather embarrassing film debut) is an Academy Award nominee. Vincent D'Onofrio has yet to be nominated for an Academy Award[[note]]Apparently D'Onofrio's 1998 Emmy nomination was mistaken for an Academy Award nomination[[/note]].
* Just take a look at this [[http://chud.com/articles/content_images/5/10turkeystroll2.jpg hilariously misleading cover art]] for ''Film/{{Troll 2}}''. Three guesses as to whether the big beastie actually appears in the film or not and the first two don't count. The plot synopsis on the back of [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aopuqIIc32s/T7ud5y1MLvI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/sBe9SeMKENc/s640/Picture.png the VHS cover]] is also misleading. It's like a mix between that movie's plot and the plot of the original ''Film/{{Troll}}''.
* Feast your eyes on [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113135/ this DVD cover]] for ''Film/FutureWar''. No one resembling the African American man on the left appears at any time in the film.
* The film poster and DVD cover for 2007's ''Film/{{Atonement}}'' show Creator/KeiraKnightley and Creator/JamesMcAvoy, making it seem as if the film is about star-crossed lovers. The ''main character'', however, is not featured on the cover.
* The British and French DVD covers for ''Film/ValhallaRising'' show a charging [[TheHorde Viking horde]]. It's also sold in a 2-DVD boxset alongside ''Film/{{Outlander}}.'' The film is actually a [[LeFilmArtistique slow-paced and hypnotic art film]] that is more in line with ''Film/AguirreTheWrathOfGod'' than the historic action flick it's presented to be. Some covers show the main character set against a desolate landscape, which is keeping more in line with the actual plot.
* The [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fd1FInwiL._SS500_.jpg Blu-Ray DVD cover]] for ''Film/NearDark'' is apparently meant to appeal to ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fans, who may be in for a bit of a shock.
* All of the marketing for ''Film/ScaryMovie3'' makes it look like Creator/DeniseRichards has a prominent role in the film as a love interest to Creator/CharlieSheen (they were married at the time) or playing a role similar to Carmen Electra's. She has a grand total of one scene in the movie (in a flashback parodying a scene from ''Film/{{Signs}}'') and adds no importance to the film.
* The poster for ''Film/ScaryMovie4'' features among the others Film/KingKong smoking a cigar, but there are no parodies of ''Film/KingKong2005'' (or any other King Kong for that matter) in the actual film.
* The cover to ''Film/RedRidingHood'' mentions Creator/GaryOldman on top billing next to Creator/AmandaSeyfried (who's on the cover), and next to the two hearthrobs of the movie, with no figure of Oldman at all on the cover.
* The video cover to the B-movie ''Street Asylum'' features G. Gordon Liddy as a cyborg, when he actually turns out to be an S&M obsessed, facist human politician.
* The DVD covers issued for the Korean horror movies ''The Wig'' and ''Voice'' are given bad direct to video horror covers, with a disturbing picture of a bloody hand reaching out from a stitched-up shaved head, and a bloody hand coming out of some woman's mouth, respectably. Both are advertised as unrated, even though both movies could probably just as easily get an R-rating as most. The cover to Voice is perhaps the most unreliable one ever seen, as it's unrelated to the movie's plot; the movie is a weird ghost/killer movie with some blood and gore, but no hands coming out of people's mouths. Likewise, there is also no hand coming out of anybody's stitched-up head in Wig, just a killer hair piece.
* The cover of the 1985 movie ''Film/TheJourneyOfNattyGann'' might make the viewer think that John Cusack was one half of an established pairing, or at least in most of the movie. The viewer would be wrong on both counts. Not only does his presence not contribute all that much to the story, but it's all of twenty minutes.
* The American release of the Australian film ''Film/{{Cosi}}'' depicts it as being a ''Film/MurielsWedding''-type comedy with Creator/ToniCollette as the star. The film is actually a bit darker than that (it's set in a mental institution and Collette plays a recovering drug addict mistakenly placed in one) and Collette is the third-billed actor in the film (Ben Mendelsohn and Barry Otto are the stars, a writer and director who are staging a talent show that becomes "Cosi Fan Tutte").
* After ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' came out, Creator/DanielCraig's earlier film ''Film/LayerCake'' was given a new DVD release. Instead of the original cover, which showed a group photo of some of the film's ensemble cast, the new cover shows Craig in a very Film/JamesBond-style pose holding a Luger pistol. He does carry that pistol in the film...for exactly one scene. And he does pose like that...as a gag (and, again, only in that one scene). The cover also features an example of BillingDisplacement: Sienna Miller is the only other cast member now deemed worthy to appear alongside Craig. In the film, she has a very minor role (which was reflected in the credits: she was listed third from the last in the opening titles). But she had become more famous since the film's original release due to her role in the remake of ''Film/{{Alfie}}'', so there she is.
* The only actor depicted on the DVD cover of ''Film/CampHell'' is Creator/JesseEisenberg, in [[FloatingHeadSyndrome gigantic floating head form]]. He's also the only one whose name appears on the cover. In reality, he has a cameo that lasts for only a few minutes, and the real leads are Andrew [=McCarthy=] and Creator/DanaDelany. Eisenberg is actually [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/jesse-eisenberg-camp-hell-lawsuit-267539?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories%29 suing Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment]] for the misleading marketing.
* The 90's indie film ''Film/SpankingTheMonkey'' has a cover depicting the typical twenty-something slacker known to star in this sort of movie, making it seem to be a SexComedy in the vein of ''Film/{{Clerks}}'', possibly about having ADateWithRosiePalms. In reality, it is a DarkComedy about ParentalIncest.
* The [[http://www.impawards.com/1990/gremlins_two_the_new_batch_ver1.html poster]] of ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' makes it look a lot darker than it is; in reality it's a much more slapsticky movie than the first one. The DVD cover is more straightforward about this.
* The [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm925546496/tt1454029 cover]] for ''Film/TheHelp'' looks like some kind of awkward romantic comedy. It certainly does not suggest a serious period drama about a young woman secretly discovering what life is like for black maids in the 1960's and trying to expose the truth whilst avoiding persecution by her racist peers.
* Posters for ''Film/TheCave'' give the impression that the caving team is attacked at one point by a massive waterdwelling fish monster. While there are in fact monsters that do travel through water as well (they can, among others things, even ''fly''), they're all human-sized.
* The DVD cover to ''Film/StandAndDeliver'' showed what many people thought that Lou Diamond Phillips was the main character, but in reality it was Edward James Olmos.
* The posters for both ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' and ''Film/TheCreatureWalksAmongUs'' show the Gill-Man rampaging in a city, which doesn't happen in either film.
* The cover of the American release of ''Film/CottonMary'' shows a scantily-clad young woman kissing a man, suggesting an incipient sex scene. In reality, the film is about a much older woman who goes crazy in a horrible and very unsexy way, and who actually interrupts the one brief sex scene before it gets very far.
* The cover of ''Film/BrassedOff'' makes you think you're about to watch a romantic comedy starring Creator/EwanMcGregor and Tara Fitzgerald. They both are in the film, but their love story is one of five equally important plots, which deal with poverty, violence, destruction and death.
* Not as major as most of these, but early promotional images for ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' implied Lucas Lee was the leader of the League of Evil Exes, as he is depicted in the center of the group and looming directly over [[TheHero Scott]]. Later promos used the proper character for the position, Gideon Graves.
* Posters of ''Film/TheLongGoodbye'' show Marlowe [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/80/Longposter.jpg/220px-Longposter.jpg holding a Colt snub nose revolver with the tagline "Nothing says goodbye like a bullet"]], despite neither showing up in the film (the line was from an early draft), and the DVD release shows him [[http://img.anyclip.com/posters/tOUsJKheM_200.jpg holding a Beretta 92SB]]. He only uses one gun in the entire film, a Smith and Wesson Model 10, at the very end.
* ''Film/TrueGrit'' was re-released on DVD around the time of Creator/TheCoenBrothers remake, with a monochrome gray tone and typography similar to the latter. The original was more of a comedy compared to the recent one.
* Look at any poster for ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' and one of the big things they often show is the head of the decapitated Statue of Liberty lying in the street. In actuality, the statue only appears very briefly in the opening scene (the only moment in the film actually shot in New York), during which it is perfectly intact. (This brazen deceit was so outrageous that it actually inspired the creators of ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}'' to make it happen for real in their movie.) Other minor details, such as the location of Snake's tattoo and the weapon he carries, are off-model too. The poster art was later given a ShoutOut in the [[ComicBook/EscapeFromNewYork boom! comic series of the same name]], where Snake pulls [[spoiler:The Duke/President Harker [[http://snake.popapostle.com/images/episodes/Statute-of-Liberty/Liberty-head.jpg past the Statue's head]] and asks, "Don't you recognize her?"]]
* ''Film/DrinkingBuddies'': The cover art shows both Luke and Chris as clean-shaven. They have a full beard and {{permastubble}} respectively. Presumably, this was done so people would recognize Jake Johnson from his role in ''Series/NewGirl''.
* The posters and DVD cover for ''Film/SoulSurvivors'' had Creator/ElizaDushku in the centre placed in front of three other cast members, and a demonic evil eyed face above them, implying that the film was a [[Film/FinalDestination Final Destination-ish]] supernatural 'slasher' film with Eliza Dusku as the FinalGirl. In the film itself, Eliza Dushku doesn't play the main character. The main character is played by Melissa Sagemiller, who is in the background on the cover. The events in the film are a bit random and confusing, but the plot, such as it is, isn't so much a supernatural 'slasher' film as a ghost story set around a car accident.
* The DVD cover for the 2009 film ''Film/{{Frenemy}}'' (or if you watched it before Lionsgate realized they had a bomb on their hands, ''Little Fish, Strange Pond'') makes it seem like Zach Galifianakis (with a huge head badly Photoshopped onto another body) is the star of the film, but he barely appears. It's really an anthology film connected by two characters played by Matthew Modine and Callum Blue wandering around Los Angeles watching people do dark things.
* The box art for ''Film/TheDevilInside'' features a very scary-looking blind nun. She does appear in the film. For a few seconds as a background character.
* The [[https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6895/6895354_sa.jpg DVD cover]] for ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'' depicts Maligore behind the Rangers as an EvilOverlooker and the main antagonist. Ironically, Maligore isn't in the film at all and only appears in ''Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie''.
* [[http://www.randytusha.com/auctions/dash/8-24-12-239.JPG This VHS cover]] of ''Film/JuliusCaesar'' starring Creator/CharltonHeston. The problem: the cover art proclaims that Heston plays Caesar; he actually plays ''Marc Antony''. Just because he has top billing doesn't generally mean he played the title character.
* ''Film/TheRaid'' UK DVD [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/917rCB5kk8L._AA1500_.jpg cover]] modified the original cover/poster adding helicopters and multiple explosions on the outside of the building. First of all, only one explosion happens in the movie and two: no helicopters appear in the film at all. This is really odd because when the movie was first released in theaters internationally, they all used the same original [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899353/mediaviewer/rm567291648 poster]].
* The cover for the ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNight'' box set of films [[Film/SilentNightDeadlyNightIIIBetterWatchOut III]], [[Film/InitiationSilentNightDeadlyNight4 IV]] and [[Film/SilentNightDeadlyNight5TheToymaker V]] shows a killer Santa, which is ironic, as they're the only films in the series without a killer Santa.
* On the DVD cover for ''Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird'', Elmo is featured prominently on the cover. The film was made before [[EnsembleDarkhorse Elmo became a major character]] and only appears as an extra towards the very end. Later prints rectify this and only feature Big Bird on the cover.
* ''Cop Dog''. The [[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/916o0x%2BGTOL._SL1500_.jpg cover]] makes it look ''exactly'' like every other silly kids' movie about dogs ever. The summary of the movie describes it as " a heartfelt tale about a boy and his dog who set out to solve the death of the young boy's father." What the summary, the cover, and the movie's title fail to tell us, however, is that the dog is ''dead'' for most of the movie. That's right, not even a quarter-way through the movie, the dog is run over by a car. The whole movie is actually about helping the dog fulfill his final desire, which is solving his master's murder, so he can cross over.
* Taken to magnificent extremes during the 80's with VHS home video releases. Two excellent examples are this [[http://www.vhsisland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/frogs.jpg cover of]] ''Film/{{Frogs}}'', a film not featuring giant man-eating frogs at all, and ''[[http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv139/intruder2k/survlast.jpg Survivors of the Last Race]]'' which at no time features anything at all on the front cover and instead is a film about a small group of bad actors trapped in a fallout bunker.
* The DVD cover of ''Film/BASEketball'' depicts Creator/JennyMcCarthy in between Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone, seemingly implying that the film is a romantic comedy with sports elements. In actuality, [=McCarthy's=] character works for the villain and is never in a relationship with the two characters (Yasmine Bleeth played the love interest).
* [[http://www.moviebuffs.com/Images/norma%20rae.jpg This cover]] for the film ''Film/NormaRae'', which features a cheerful Creator/SallyField in jeans and a t-shirt and the film's title in pink cursive, implies "cheerful romantic comedy!" ''Norma Rae'' is actually a gritty and powerful ''drama'' about the title character's attempt to unionize textile workers, which won Sally Field an Academy Award for Best Actress and an enduring place in the pantheon of great American actresses.
* The entire print campaign and video covers for ''Film/AlmostFamous'' depict it as starring Creator/KateHudson. The actual lead is Patrick Fugit (with Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman's character having a lot of presence as Fugit's character's idol) and Creator/BillyCrudup with Hudson being a glorified supporting character. The studio decided that selling it as a generic 1970's movie instead of the semi-biopic of the director was an easier sell (either way, the film was still an expensive flop despite critical acclaim).
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** [[https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/05/1-star-wars-poster.jpg One of the posters]] for the American release of ''Film/ANewHope'' shows Luke as incredibly muscular and wearing an open shirt while Leia has bare legs, an ImpossiblyLowNeckline, and a cape. Luke is also holding a lightsaber in a fighting pose; in the movie, the character only used one in the training scene, and wouldn't fight with one until the next movie.
** [[http://www.lookatme.ru/flow/kino/star-wars/61120-ofitsialnyie-sovetskie-plakatyi-k-filmu-zvezdnyie-voynyi The official promotional posters]] for the first Soviet release of ''Film/ANewHope'': 3 alien heads, a scrapyard-assembled cowboy, a panther with lightsaber mane and a rock head. By painters off their meds. The texts are technically correct: "Star Wars: a galactic Western" or "Star Wars: a space Western".
** This article collects various [[http://io9.com/incredibly-weird-star-wars-posters-you-probably-havent-1521987518?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow international]] posters, including the aforementioned Soviet Russian release. The Hungarian posters feature only aliens that never appear in the movie and a vaguely Darth Vader-esque figure who looks almost nothing like him. One of the Polish posters for the series looks like a the cover to a Sega Master System flight sim as opposed to anything related to Star Wars. Another Polish poster depicts ''only'' C3-PO, as if he is the star of the film and not merely a supporting cast member. Safe to say, the posters from former communist states tend to be the most bizarre.
** [[http://www.impawards.com/1983/posters/return_of_the_jedi_ver2.jpg Several]] [[http://images.wired.it/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/1401181631_s-w-episode-vi.jpg posters]] for ''[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi]]'' feature Luke wielding a blue lightsaber as he does in the first two films. In the actual movie, it's green.
** Then there's the somewhat notorious [[https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ICeD3Xzh--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/19fjtndltvz25jpg.jpg Polish poster]] for ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which depicts Darth Vader's [[YourHeadASplode head exploding.]] According to the artist, he was told that Darth Vader was going to die, so he felt free to go nuts with how it'd happen. Weirdly, Darth Vader's head sort of ''does'' explode in a dream sequence in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', which could be where he got the idea.
** This poster for the Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'' depicts Luke fighting Vader in his Empire Strikes Back attire (note the blue Lightsaber and blaster pistol); [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/f2/1d/96f21da8a95856bce9e2ac199dc50c0f.jpg]]
* The cover for the 2000 made for tv film ''Road Rage'' [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250390/ shows a truck tailgating a mustang]], but unfortunately in the actual film the protagonists are in a Lincoln, not a Mustang.
* The famous poster for ''Film/FallingDown'' shows D-Fens in a white shirt and tie with a shotgun in one hand and a briefcase in the other. He is never actually seen with that combination in the movie.
* The poster for the DTV movie ''The Adventures of Young Van Helsing'' features TheHero, his {{Love Interest|s}} and a tough looking black guy. This gives the impression that they are the three main characters of the film, when in fact the last guy is the drummer in the main character's band, appears in maybe two scenes, and neither have any impact on the film's plot.
* The original poster for ''Film/TheFinalSacrifice'' depicts [[http://www.cultreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-Final-Sacrifice-poster.jpg a warrior holding a sword in a mystical city]]. Neither the warrior nor the sword show up in the film, though the city does appear to resemble the Ziox civilization model seen briefly at the end of the movie.
** A different release of the film, ''Quest for the Lost City,'' depicts ''[[http://www.cultreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-Final-Sacrifice-poster-1.jpg none]]'' of the actual actors in the film and appears to depict a Grecian ruin as the supposed city. In fact, the only thing on the cover that does appear in the film is the crude map that starts the plot in the first place.
*** The second example is worse because Rowsdower is not a hunky young Creator/KevinSorbo nor is Troy a teenage, darker-haired Creator/ValKilmer clone (back when Kilmer was slim and hot).
* ''Film/ChoppingMall'' does not feature robots with humanlike, scaly looking arms (instead they have stubby, robotic claws), and no-one's body parts get stuffed into a shopping bag.
* ''Film/QuestOfTheDeltaKnights'' has a poster that [[http://www.davidwarnerfilm.co.uk/photos/-Film-Posters/quest.JPG not only gets the title wrong]], but aside from including publicity headshots of two actual characters, puts an armored knight on a horse front and center. This character does not appear in the movie and none of the knights look like this.
** Even worse is the [[https://cover.box3.net/newsimg/dvdmov/max1337184483-front-cover.jpg DVD cover]], which is [[BlatantLies ABSOLUTELY NOT]] an attempt to cash on [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings a certain big budget fantasy franchise]].
* The [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3208745472/tt0092112?ref_=tt_ov_i DVD cover]] of the '80s heavy-metal horror film ''Trick or Treat'' has Gene Simmons' and Ozzy Osbourne's {{floating head|Syndrome}}s, and their names [[BilledAboveTheTitle above the title]]. However, each one of them has a mere cameo in the film.
* The poster for ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'' shows a waterfall cascading down by the Empire State Building, but in the film is buried up to the observation deck all around. [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4179469056/tt1483013?ref_=tt_ov_i Another poster]] shows the George Washington Bridge free and at an angle, while in the movie it is half-buried and standing straight.
* Creator/ChowYunFat is featured on the DVD cover of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' and is even given top billing along with the other four leads in the film. His actual role consists mostly of dying so Kiera Knightley can get a {{MacGuffin}}.
* If one is to see the Mexican advertisements for ''Film/JackAndJill'', you would believe that Creator/EugenioDerbez had a bigger role in the movie, since he's predominantly featured next to Creator/AdamSandler.
* One of the posters for ''Literature/KissOfTheSpiderWoman'' makes it look like, as Website/{{Cracked}} put it, "a ghost-faced monster lady who catches people in a giant spider web and eats them to death, or a superheroine with powers comparable to ComicBook/SpiderWoman breaking up cartel supply rings in the South American jungle". In reality, it's a film about two political prisoners sharing a cell in Brazil.
* [[http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130806034747-sapphires-dvd-story-top.png Compare]] the US cover of the Australian film ''Film/TheSapphires'' (left) with the Australian cover (right). You could say it's a clear cut case of institutional racism or just a marketing team doing its job while bearing in mind the fact that a white story simply sells better than a black story, and that O'Dowd is the film's biggest drawcard in the US, unlike in Australia where Jessica Mauboy and Deborah Mailman are both better known. Either way there are UnfortunateImplications.
* Several of the posters for ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' showed Angel clad in an X-Men uniform and acting as part of the team. Not only does Angel not wear a costume in the movie, he doesn't even officially join the X-Men either.
** Scott was also shown in his X-Men uniform on the back of the DVD cover, but never dons it once in the film.
* The international posters and US home video covers for ''Film/PainAndGain'' put the Sorina character with Creator/MarkWahlberg and Wrestling/DwayneJohnson, despite the fact that the character appears for less than 10 minutes and has little to do with the film's plot. The US poster sold the film much more accurately (and paired Anthony Mackie with the two leads).
* The cover for the Creator/MGMCBSHomeVideo release of the 1974 film of a Bolshoi Ballet production of ''Theatre/{{Giselle}}'' actually shows a still from their production of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', which MGM/CBS would release on videocassette the next year.
* Both the old VHS ''and'' the DVD covers of the ''Manga/{{Guyver}}'' live-action film adaptation show the Guyver armor mergin with Creator/MarkHamill's face... but Mark Hamill does not portray the lead character who becomes the Guyver.
* ''Film/TheLastStand'' is about five BigDamnHeroes who are all that stand in the way of an escaped druglord reaching the Mexican border, but of course only Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger and Johnny Knoxville were deemed worthy of appearing on the cover.
* The DVD cover for the film version of ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' features Richard Henry Lee twice, flanking Thomas and Martha Jefferson in an embrace and some Congressmen below. Nowhere appears UsefulNotes/JohnAdams, the actual ''protagonist''. Now, John Adams did predict, and the line was used in the play, that he would be forgotten by history... but for a musical that ''specifically'' sought to give him credit for his role in American independence? Ouch.
* A fan-made Photoshopped poster for ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', with brothers Thor and Loki in a rather homoerotic embrace, accidentally wound up as legitimate advertising in Shanghai!
* One the most widespread movie poster images for ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' depicts a space battle between the Enterprise and the Regula I space station instead of the stolen starship Reliant. Regula I was an unarmed science research station.
* The DVD covers for the B-Movie ''The Barber'' featuring Creator/MalcolmMcDowell use a grunge style typically associated with gory slasher flicks. However, the film has no onscreen violence or blood. It is more of a psychological "cat and mouse" thriller with a generous helping of BlackComedy.
* The very famous poster for ''Defcon 4'' is a reuse of 1976 artwork by Angus Mckie.
* Every DVD cover for the 1951 film ''Film/HometownStory'' boasts Creator/MarilynMonroe on the front cover with top billing, as if she's the star. In reality, she only had a small part as a secretary, on screen for maybe five minutes. The (otherwise forgettable) film has seen so many DVD releases because it has fallen into the PublicDomain. There's even a box set of 100 public domain films with Monroe featured rather boldly on the front cover as the set's "big star." ''Hometown Story'', and her very brief appearance in it, is actually all you get.
* This [[http://www.impawards.com/1960/time_machine_ver2.html poster]] for the 1960 version of ''[[Film/{{TheTimeMachine|1960}} The Time Machine]]'' will make one wonder if the designer had actually seen the film. The titular contraption bears no resemblance to the [[http://theragingfanboy.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/thetimemachine1960-timemachine0011.jpg one featured in the movie]].
* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' movie poster most frequently tend to exaggerate the size of Godzilla and the other {{Kaiju}} (yes, even compared to [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever how huge they actually are]]), though there are other misleading aspects as well:
** One [[http://www.godzilla-movies.com/media/kingkong_vs_godzilla.jpg poster]] for ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'' shows Kong swinging Godzilla by the tail over a burning city. No such scene is in the actual movie.
** The US marketing campaign and poster art for ''Film/MothraVsGodzilla'' renamed the film "Godzilla Vs The Thing" and depicted Mothra as an entirely different, tentacled monster that towers over Godzilla, a monster claimed to be so terrifying that the art of it had to be censored—quite the opposite of Mothra herself, who is a good monster who isn't remotely terrifying.
** The American [[http://posterwire.com/wp-content/uploads/godzilla_vs_megalon.jpg poster]] for ''Film/GodzillaVsMegalon'' shows the two title characters attacking each other from atop the Twin Towers in New York. None of the film takes place in New York, let alone on top of the World Trade Center.
** The [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godzilla_vs_mechagodzilla_1974_4892.jpg poster]] for ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla'' implies that Godzilla, Anguirus and King Caesar all get in a big brawl with Mechagodzilla, with Anguirus being fired upon with Mechagodzilla's vast arsenal of energy weapons. In the actual movie, Anguirus only fights Mechagodzilla briefly near the beginning before disappearing for the rest of the time to nurse his wounds, and Mechagodzilla was still in his Godzilla disguise at the time.
** ''Film/GodzillaAndMothraTheBattleForEarth'' [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mothra_earth_5209.jpg shows]] two Mothra larvae hatching from an egg. There is only one Mothra larva that hatches from an egg, and while there ''is'' another larva in the movie, it's the Battra larva.
** The [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mechagodzilla_2_poster_2114.jpg poster]] for ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII'' depicts Mechagodzilla as looking vastly different from how he [[http://fe867b.medialib.glogster.com/media/00/00bb2aaae8147434e624b265b2420c15785e12eda3eba7a45a1fb1aabd45cb51/600full-godzilla-vs-mechagodzilla-ii-screenshot.jpg looks]] in the film proper. No TronLines or big exterior pumps and wires to be found.
** The Hungarian VHS cover of ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla'' omits Godzilla entirely, featuring King Caesar and Mechagodzilla instead.
** The theatrical poster for the [[Film/{{Godzilla 1998}} first fully American Godzilla film]] is also not accurate; in the movie itself, Zilla is depicted as 300 feet tall, with his feet barely being big enough to act as a ramp for a taxi. The [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/godzilla-1998-movie-poster-5_4768.jpg poster]] would have you believe that Zilla was ''way'' bigger than that.
* ''Film/ATalkingCat'': The CuteKitten on the cover looks nothing like the overweight adult cat in the actual movie.
* ''Film/OperationDumboDrop'': The poster depicts an African elephant in camouflage depicted as going to war. The movie is about the delivery of an Asian elephant.
* The [[http://www.disneystore.com/adventure-movies-entertainment-return-to-oz-dvd/mp/1312587/1013316/ cover]] for the DVD release of ''Film/ReturnToOz''. There, we see Dorothy, Billina, Tik Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead flying over The Gump, but then you see the Tin Man among them... Why? The Tin Man appears about a total of a minute or so in the whole movie, he doesn't take any important part in the plot and doesn't even have lines. Someone in the Design Department for some reason photoshoped the Tin Man in there...
** And let's not forget that those bright and happy colors can be a bit misleading about [[DarkerAndEdgier the real feeling of the film]], if you compare it with ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
** But also, there's the [[http://www.movieposter.com/poster/A70-6700/Return_To_Oz.html theatrical poster]] for the movie. Not only the Tin Man, but also the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion... How can The Gump fly with all that weight?
** [[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A141zHuukzL._SX522_.jpg An old Japanese VHS cover]] is more accurate to the actual film overall, showing Dorothy, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Gump, with the Nome King, Mombi and a Wheeler as {{Evil Overlooker}}s. However, it also depicts the Nome King's larger form slightly behind the actual character, implying they're separate characters, when they aren't in the actual movie - plus it implies the Wheelers as major antagonists, when they're minor henchmen in the film itself.
* Speaking of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', [[https://displate.com/image-visualisation/standard/16/2015-08-25/fffe5acd1b0667eb019a6bd8376c965f.jpg?w=640&h=640&v=3 an Italian poster]] for the movie depicts Professor Marvel showing a crystal ball to Dorothy, which reflects an image of the Wicked Witch, and her gasping in horror. Obviously, this does not happen in the actual movie.
* ''Film/GregorysGirl'': The DVD cover shows Gregory in a white suit jacket and Dorothy in a blue blouse. [[spoiler: They're never together when he's wearing the jacket, which he borrowed specifically for their date.]]
* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors'': The Theatrical release poster depicts two Dream Warriors (one would possibly be Kincaid) wielding a baseball bat and a mace, which never appear in the actual film. Taryn is shown with 80s white punk hair when in reality she has a mohawk hairstyle and she's wielding what appear to be dagger rather than switchblade. The cover also features a brunette woman who doesn't resemble the main character Kristen, although she has white streak (which Nancy usually has in the film).
* One of the several covers under which ''Film/DayOfTheDead1985'' has been marketed features many arms reaching to grab at a frightened woman, an event that occurs only in a brief dream-sequence. Another depicts an open-mouthed alligator among a crowd of zombies and other threats, as if it's one of the dangers the characters will face. An alligator briefly appears on-screen, but it's merely hauling itself out of the way of some zombies, and none of the living characters even ''see'' the creature.
* Looking at [[http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA1MTE5MTQ3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjA1OTg4._V1_SY317_CR2,0,214,317_AL_.jpg the poster]] for the British musical ''Little Voice'', one would think that it's a warm, fluffy tale about a young woman's (Jane Horrocks) rise to stardom, and the colorful cast of characters, including Creator/MichaelCaine, who help her get there. In actuality, the story is an extremely dark one about Horrocks being bullied into a singing career she doesn't want by Caine's character, a corrupt talent agent, in order to cover his debts to the mob.
* The cover of ''Film/ThirteenThirteenThirteen'' depicts a bloody child holding a teddy bear and casting the shadow of a demon. The tagline states that humanity has become demons. The blurb on the back talks about a plague of demons. The film has no demons in it.
* [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saved.jpg All of]] [[http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/14100000/Movie-Poster-saved-14125130-1807-2560.jpg the many]] [[https://intimacywithjesus.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/movie-poster-saved-14124914-682-1023.jpg covers for]] [[http://www.covershut.com/covers/Saved-Front-Cover-7794.jpg the movie]] ''Film/{{Saved}}'' depict Mandy Moore in the center as the star, while Jena Malone is off to the side, and given devil horns as if she is the antagonist. [[spoiler:The exact opposite is true.]]
* The 1974 film, ''Cockfighter'' which is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin about cockfighting]] and bombed upon being released, was re-released under the title "Born to Kill" and given a poster that makes it look like a totally different movie, that has nothing to do with cockfighting!
* The poster for the cheesy sci-fi movie ''Film/{{ROTOR}}'' depicts an armored robot firing in an apocalyptic wasteland, two points that do not appear in the movie.
* The poster for the Creator/DisneyChannel Original Movie ''Model Behavior'' contains no references whatsoever to the IdenticalStranger plot.
* ''Film/CampNowhere'':
** First, there's [[http://images.moviepostershop.com/camp-nowhere-movie-poster-1020368216.jpg this poster]], which seems to make the movie out to be the second coming of ''Film/AnimalHouse''. In fact, the movie was a kids' movie and NOTHING like ''Animal House'', but [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids you wouldn't know it]] by looking at that poster. To wit: there were no supermodels in string bikinis and daisy dukes (there was probably only one bikini in the entire movie, and it was far more modest), the kids didn't tie up a guy in a suit and spray him with water, and most of the cast was in junior high school. But there ''were'' Super Soakers, so that poster wasn't ''completely'' wrong.
** Likewise [[http://nsbrant.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/camp-nowhere.jpg this poster.]] The four leads don't tie Creator/ChristopherLloyd's character to a stake at any point in the movie. In fact, that character helps them with their con.
* ''Film/EscapeFromSobibor'' is a drama about the massive breakout of prisoners from a Nazi extermination camp in eastern Poland in 1943. At least one particularely puzzling poster depicts its most recognizable star Creator/RutgerHauer (who plays a captured Red Army soldier) in a wife beater and holding a {{BFG}} while he runs away from a huge explosion. Needless to say it's far from an 80s action film...
* Of the blurb variety. ''Film/GoldenWinter'' mentions a "bank robbery" on the back. No such bank robbery happens. The heist is at an Elk's Club, trying to steal a donation for a local Boy's Club.
* Looking at the poster from the film version of ''Music/{{Evita}}'', one would think it to be about a tempestuous romance between the title character and Creator/AntonioBanderas. Banderas's character, Che, is in fact the narrator and GreekChorus, and has no real interaction with Eva Peron. Che appears throughout the film as several characters, who are unlikely to "really" be the same person (he's seen as a both a poor railroad worker and a guest at a high-society party, for instance), showing up wherever he needs to be to tell the story. The scene depicted on the poster ''is'' in the film, but it's actually a dream sequence where Eva hallucinates a waltz between herself and Che, who in this scene takes on the role of Eva's conscience; rather than a love scene, this sequence depicts Eva struggling with ''herself''. Eva's actual love interest, as per history, is her husband Juan Peron, who is played by Creator/JonathanPryce.
* [[http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=349f60j&s=4#.VfMaXX3bhuk The VHS cover]] for ''{{Film/Clifford}}'' has the title character chained up next to a dog house - nothing like this happens in the movie, and there aren't any dogs featured in it. The design is justified by a tagline making a BaitAndSwitchComparison between Clifford and a Pitbull. However, it seems likely that the marketing department was hoping potential viewers would miss the tagline, read too much into the very prominent dog house, and mistakenly conclude that it was either a live action adaptation of the ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'' books, something similar to the ''{{Film/Beethoven}}'' films (which also starred Charles Grodin), or both.
** There is actually a dog in the film which Clifford takes from the airport whom he calls "Sneakers."
* The poster for ''Film/AllIWantForChristmas'' gives the impression that the kids kidnap Santa in a ''Film/HomeAlone'' style trap, and demand tons of presents. In the actual film this is just a MallSanta who appears for a couple scenes, and the film's plot is more in the vein of ''Film/TheParentTrap''.
* The poster for ''Film/SavingChristmas'' suggests it to be a deliberately cheesy action-comedy flick with Kirk Cameron leaping through explosions and beating people up with a candy cane. The film is actually an AuthorFilibuster shot mostly in what appears to be Kirk Cameron's living room, and the only jokes or action are half-assed slapstick sequences aimed at the {{Straw Atheist}}s who disagree with the film's bizarre message.
* Katniss never donned the red SpyCatsuit she's been wearing in the posters and promotional materials for ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart2''.
* Numerous DVD covers for ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII'' give the film the subtitle, "Turtles in Time", despite it not appearing in the film itself. This is likely due to confusion with the video game, ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'', which has a similar plot.
* The poster for ''Film/TheBoss'' depicts Creator/MelissaMcCarthy as Michelle Darnell sitting on a chair, burning banknotes while two Dobermans sit on either side of her. The Dobermans belong to Creator/PeterDinklage's character, the film's villain, and not Michelle.
* On the back of the DVD for the 1981 slasher ''Film/EyesOfAStranger'', it says boldly, "Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh is stalked by a killer." While Leigh's character does confront the killer at the end in true FinalGirl fashion, it is her character's sister (played by the lesser-known Lauren Tewes) who is actually the investigative protagonist of the film. Despite all this, it can be argued that Tewes' character stalks the killer more than the other way around.
* The poster and cover for ''Film/TwoWeeksNotice'' show Creator/SandraBullock wearing a purple jumper that is never seen in the film.
* The [[http://www.dvd-covers.org/art/DVD_Covers/Movie_DVD_Scanned_Covers/1322Dracula_3000.jpg.html DVD box-art]] for ''Dracula 3000'' features a grotesque alien-looking vampire as if it was designed by Creator/HRGiger. Yet, no vampire even looks close to that. The main villain is just a rather silly-looking ClassicalMovieVampire. To top it off, despite the story being a sci-fi adaptation of the Dracula novel InSpace, the BigBad is not [[NonIndicativeName Dracula]], rather he is named [[Film/{{Nosferatu}} Orlock]] instead.
* A poster for ''[[Creator/SeltzerandFriedberg Disaster Movie]]'' references ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie''. The film has absolutely nothing to do with ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in the least, yet there's a poster showing nothing but it. It may be the most misleading movie poster ever created.
* The poster for ''Film/{{Dreamscape}}'' is almost an inversion, as all the images in the outer "framework" of the picture actually happen in the film. The exceptions are that the Snake Man's nature as a HumanoidAbomination are concealed, making the creature appear like a regular limbless snake, and the poster's central image - Alex holding a torch, standing protectively in front of Buddy and Jane - never happens. (He ''does'' protect ''Buddy'' in one of the nightmare sequences, but Jane is never directly endangered at any point in the film.)
* One poster for ''The Night Walker'' features the lead Creator/BarbaraStanwyck being menaced by a demonic goat horned creature, which never appears in the film.
* The [[http://horrorhomework.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/816fldVkowL._SL1500_.jpg cover art]] for ''Film/DoctorMordrid'' shows the titular character wearing clothes that never appear in the film. It also implies that at least some of the film takes place in outer space, when it's actually in another dimension.
* [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/cf/e7/a7/cfe7a7891158a3a327f4dadad173b816.jpg One poster]] for the film ''Film/WouldYouRather'' shows someone cutting a woman's eye with a razor blade. In the film it's a man's eye that's cut, and he does it to himself.
* [[http://www.ozmovies.com.au/uploads/media/poster/0001/75/fe48d119d1594f720f50fb656017725aa24fbd97.jpg The official poster art]] for the 1982 Australian horror film ''[[Film/NextOfKin1982 Next of Kin]]'' (not to be confused with [[Film/NextOfKin1989 the Patrick Swayze film of the same name]]) makes the film look like a straightforward slasher flick rather than the suspenseful psychological thriller it actually is.
* ''Film/VirtualCombat'': The VHS cover depicts the female lead in a white uniform that she doesn't wear at any point in the film.
* The back cover of the 1996 ''Film/{{Vampirella}}'' movie shows the heroine in her traditional comicbook costume, concealing the fact that it was actually substituted with a [[AdaptationalModesty less skimpier version]].
* ''Film/FinalGirl'': The poster makes it seem like William is part of the group of psychopaths hunting girls in the woods, when in fact he's the one who trained Veronica to be an effective SerialKillerKiller.
* One DVD cover for ''[[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JogOyypmL._SY445_.jpg Evidence of Love]]'' shows star Barbara Hershey with long straight hair, even though she sports a short curly hairstyle in the movie.
* A poster for ''[[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2rpYP_JiC0/ThIsKIzUIuI/AAAAAAAABDk/-QbndhiEJrk/s1600/The+Heiress+poster.jpg The Heiress]]'' shows Creator/OliviaDeHavilland with her hair down, even though she never wears her hair that way in the film.
* While most versions of the ''Film/ReAnimator'' poster avert this, the [[https://iwiz-movies.c.yimg.jp/c/movies/pict/p/p/f0/65/805966_01.jpg Japanese version of the poster]] that was also used for the VHS covers along with having [[CompletelyDifferentTitle the amazing title of Zombio]] only shows stills from the '''[[TrailersAlwaysSpoil climax]]''', mainly the re-animated head of Dr. Hill [[spoiler: and the scene where he tries to rape Megan]] giving the impression that it's an Eroguro film. Likely resulting in thousands of {{Otaku}}s disappointed in the lack of Fanservice.
* The poster for ''Film/ItComesAtNight'' depicts the family dog barking into a forest nightscape, clearly hinting that the dog is barking at the "it" of the title "coming at night." The scene this is taken from occurs during the day, and it's never made clear what the title refers to.
* The made-for-TV Christmas movie ''12 Wishes of Christmas'' was released on DVD as ''[[NeverTrustATitle 12 Christmas Wishes for My Dog]]'', and prominently features a dog on the cover. There ''is'' a dog this movie, but despite what the cover and new title convey, it factors very little to the events of the film overall.
* ''Film/{{Mythica}}: A Quest for Heroes'':
** The UK DVD cover shows our heroine Marek wearing a combat mini dress and wielding a sword. In the film, she wears a long dress and does not have a sword.
** The US and German covers show her wearing a white blouse and leather trousers. Instead of a sword, she has a staff glowing with magical power. She doesn't have one of those in the film either.
* The DVD synopsis for ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' states Kanaga wants to TakeOverTheWorld, when he actually only wants to make a considerable sum of money by flooding the heroin market with his own supply.
* Hoo boy ''Film/TheBridesOfDracula'' had a few
** One has a girl holding another, bride style, as she enters into a gate with the boarding school in the background along with other women and Dracula looming over menacingly. Implying the film was going to be about Dracula attacking the school and turning girls his titular brides. Not only is Dracula ''not'' in the film, the main vampire, the Baron Meinster, only manages one attack on a girl at the school and that's it. If anything it's more about a French girl unwittingly freeing a vampire and Helsing arriving to stop him. The school is barely even a setting. What's more none of the girls look remotely like the characters in the movie.
** Another poster featured a row of women in white, about five total, while looking over at Dracula while Marianne and the Baron on in the other corner. This poster was half and half right, four of the people on the poster look like their actions now (Marianne, the Baron, Gina and the unnamed Village Girl). But again, Dracula wasn't in it as well as the other girls that were drawn in.
** A DVD cover for the movie feature the Baron holding Marianne by a window (it's a image lifted from the movie) with a castle looming ominously in the background a few bats in the sky, implying he was the hero protecting her from vampires. As stated, he ''is'' the vampire threat in the movie.
* ''Film/TheMeg'': The poster exaggerates the size of the Megalodon quite a bit, making it seem to be the size of a blue whale when it's actually the equivalent size of a modern whale shark.
* ''Kings and Desperate Men'': This 1981 cult film starring Patrick [=McGoohan=] and Alexis Kanner (a fellow alumnus from ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'') didn't get released in the U.S until 1989, and that was on home video. The cover for this video release had a picture of [=McGoohan=] looking very action ready, and somewhat reminiscent of Creator/BruceWillis on the classic ''Film/DieHard'' poster. This was also a terrorist hostage film that took place during Christmas season, but unlike it's 1988 SpiritualSuccessor (Kanner was noted for calling ''Die Hard'' a ripoff), this is not an action thriller. It's actually a dialogue driven character drama which could have been written as a stage play. Also, there is the fact that the picture of [=McGoohan=] on the cover of the video release is based on what he looked like in 1968's ''Film/IceStationZebra'' thirteen years prior to the making of this film. It doesn't represent the stooped, greying [=McGoohan=] seen in ''Kings'', let alone what he looked like in 1989.
* The [[http://tmsimg.com/assets/v8/AllPhotos/2002/p2002_p_v8_aa.jpg original poster]] of ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1962'' depicts the Phantom swinging on the soon-to-be-falling chandelier as the audience below looks up in terror. Actually, he is not in any way responsible for the chandelier's fall in this version - in fact, he [[spoiler:dies after he sees it coming down and [[HeroicSacrifice pushes Christine out of its way]]]]. The Phantom also never holds the swooning Christine in his arms as the inset image would have you believe.
* One version of the dvd cover for ''Film/Siren2010'' shows a bikini-clad woman (the head is cut off so it is unclear if it is supposed to be Rachel or Silka) holding a large knife; strongly implying that it is a SlasherMovie rather than the psychological/supernatural thriller it is. Needless to say neither Rachel nor Silka hold a Bowie knife at any point in the film.
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* Look at the 2006 [[https://www.amazon.com/Carousel-50th-Anniversary-Gordon-MacRae/dp/B000HT3PFG DVD cover]] of Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein's ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'', and you'll see Gordon Mcrae whisper sweet nothings into Shirley Jones's ear, as they stand near a carousel while green grass grows and colorful balloons float into the sky. Watch the actual movie, and you'll be treated to a musical about a ''DomesticAbuser'' who [[DisappearedDad dies during his wife's pregnancy]]. Also, when they meet at that carousel, no grass is growing, no balloons float into the sky, and the sun doesn't even shine, since it's nighttime.

* The most commonly-used poster for the WoodyAllen film ''Film/CrimesAndMisdemeanors'' shows Allen and Martin Landau sitting next to each other, implying the film is about the two of them. While each of them is the star of his own story within the film, the two interact with each other exactly once.

* The cover for ''Film/MazesAndMonsters'' makes it appear to be a dark fantasy story, with a picture of a labyrinth, a dark tower, and a night sky filled with bats. Turns out it's just an {{Anvilicious}} story based on the D&D scare of the early '80s. Also, the picture of Tom Hanks on the cover was taken years after the movie was made.
* Of the five "[[http://gamesyouloved.com/media/178857/pixels_movie_arcade_posters.jpg Arcade posters]]" for ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', three show the aliens attacking cities they don't even visit in the film itself, and two have Pac-Man and Donkey Kong as an AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever instead of being barely twice the height of human as they are in the film. Moreover, Donkey Kong is seen attacking a city, while in the movie [[spoiler:he's the final boss and doesn't leave the Mothership.]]

* The Troma Collectors' Edition cover of the godawful sex comedy ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085547/mediaviewer/rm3614441984 The First Turn-On]]!'' boasts that co-star Vincent D'Onofrio (in his rather embarrassing film debut) is an Academy Award nominee. Vincent D'Onofrio has yet to be nominated for an Academy Award[[note]]Apparently D'Onofrio's 1998 Emmy nomination was mistaken for an Academy Award nomination[[/note]].

* All of the marketing for ''Film/ScaryMovie3'' makes it look like Denise Richards has a prominent role in the film as a love interest to Creator/CharlieSheen (they were married at the time) or playing a role similar to Carmen Electra's. She has a grand total of one scene in the movie (in a flashback parodying a scene from ''Film/{{Signs}}'') and adds no importance to the film.
* The poster for ''Film/ScaryMovie4'' features among the others King Kong smoking a cigar, but there are no parodies of Peter Jackson's ''Film/KingKong2005'' (or any other King Kong for that matter) in the actual film.

* After ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' came out, Daniel Craig's earlier film ''Film/LayerCake'' was given a new DVD release. Instead of the original cover, which showed a group photo of some of the film's ensemble cast, the new cover shows Craig in a very Film/JamesBond-style pose holding a Luger pistol. He does carry that pistol in the film...for exactly one scene. And he does pose like that...as a gag (and, again, only in that one scene). The cover also features an example of BillingDisplacement: Sienna Miller is the only other cast member now deemed worthy to appear alongside Craig. In the film, she has a very minor role (which was reflected in the credits: she was listed third from the last in the opening titles). But she had become more famous since the film's original release due to her role in the remake of ''Film/{{Alfie}}'', so there she is.
* The only actor depicted on the DVD cover of ''Film/CampHell'' is Jesse Eisenberg, in [[FloatingHeadSyndrome gigantic floating head form]]. He's also the only one whose name appears on the cover. In reality, he has a cameo that lasts for only a few minutes, and the real leads are Andrew [=McCarthy=] and Dana Delany. Eisenberg is actually [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/jesse-eisenberg-camp-hell-lawsuit-267539?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories%29 suing Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment]] for the misleading marketing.

* The cover of ''Film/BrassedOff'' makes you think you're about to watch a romantic comedy starring Creator/EwanMcGregor and... some woman history has forgotten. They both are in the film, but their love story is one of five equally important plots, which deal with poverty, violence, destruction and death.

* ''Film/TrueGrit'' was re-released on DVD around the time of the Coen Brothers remake, with a monochrome gray tone and typography similar to the latter. The original was more of a comedy compared to the recent one.

* [[http://www.moviebuffs.com/Images/norma%20rae.jpg This cover]] for the film ''Film/NormaRae'', which features a cheerful Sally Field in jeans and a t-shirt and the film's title in pink cursive, implies "cheerful romantic comedy!" ''Norma Rae'' is actually a gritty and powerful ''drama'' about the title character's attempt to unionize textile workers, which won Sally Field an Academy Award for Best Actress and an enduring place in the pantheon of great American actresses.
* The entire print campaign and video covers for ''Film/AlmostFamous'' depict it as starring Kate Hudson. The actual lead is Patrick Fugit (with PhilipSeymourHoffman's character having a lot of presence as Fugit's character's idol) and Billy Crudup with Hudson being a glorified supporting character. The studio decided that selling it as a generic 1970's movie instead of the semi-biopic of the director was an easier sell (either way, the film was still an expensive flop despite critical acclaim).

** This poster for the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi depicts Luke fighting Vader in his Empire Strikes Back attire (note the blue Lightsaber and blaster pistol); [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/f2/1d/96f21da8a95856bce9e2ac199dc50c0f.jpg]]

* The famous poster for ''Film/FallingDown'' shows Michael Douglas' character in a white shirt and tie with a shotgun in one hand and a briefcase in the other. He is never actually seen with that combination in the movie.

*** The second example is worse because Rowsdower is not a hunky young Kevin Sorbo nor is Troy a teenage, darker-haired Val Kilmer clone (back when Kilmer was slim and hot).

* Yun-Fat Chow is featured on the DVD cover of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' and is even given top billing along with the other four leads in the film. His actual role consists mostly of dying so Kiera Knightley can get a MacGuffin.

* The poster for ''Film/TheBoss'' depicts Melissa [=McCarthy=] as Michelle Darnell sitting on a chair, burning banknotes while two Dobermans sit on either side of her. The Dobermans belong to Peter Dinklage's character, the film's villain, and not Michelle.

* A poster for ''[[Creator/SeltzerandFriedberg Disaster Movie]]'' references ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie''. The film has absolutely nothing to do with the Simpsons in the least, yet there's a poster showing nothing but it. It may be the most misleading movie poster ever created.

* One poster for ''The Night Walker'' features the lead Barbara Stanwyck being menaced by a demonic goat horned creature, which never appears in the film.

* A poster for ''[[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2rpYP_JiC0/ThIsKIzUIuI/AAAAAAAABDk/-QbndhiEJrk/s1600/The+Heiress+poster.jpg The Heiress]]'' shows Olivia de Havilland with her hair down, even though she never wears her hair that way in the film.

* ''Kings and Desperate Men'': This 1981 cult film starring Patrick [=McGoohan=] and Alexis Kanner (a fellow alumnus from ''Series/ThePrisoner'') didn't get released in the U.S until 1989, and that was on home video. The cover for this video release had a picture of [=McGoohan=] looking very action ready, and somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Willis on the classic ''Film/DieHard'' poster. This was also a terrorist hostage film that took place during Christmas season, but unlike it's 1988 SpiritualSuccessor (Kanner was noted for calling ''Die Hard'' a ripoff), this is not an action thriller. It's actually a dialogue driven character drama which could have been written as a stage play. Also, there is the fact that the picture of [=McGoohan=] on the cover of the video release is based on what he looked like in 1968's ''Ice Station Zebra'' thirteen years prior to the making of this film. It doesn't represent the stooped, greying [=McGoohan=] seen in ''Kings'', let alone what he looked like in 1989.
* The [[http://tmsimg.com/assets/v8/AllPhotos/2002/p2002_p_v8_aa.jpg original poster]] of ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1962'' depicts the Phantom swinging on the soon-to-be-falling chandelier as the audience below looks up in terror. Actually, he is not in any way responsible for the chandelier's fall in this version - in fact, he [[spoiler:dies after he sees it coming down and [[HeroicSacrifice pushes Christine out of its way]]]]. The Phantom also never holds the swooning Christine in his arms as the inset image would have you believe.

** [[https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/05/1-star-wars-poster.jpg One of the posters]] for the American release. Mark Hamil is more muscular than he actually was, and is holding a lightsaber in a fighting pose; in the movie, the character only used one in the training scene, and wouldn't fight with one until the next movie. Another version of the poster was even more deceptive showing Carrie Fischer in a [[ShowSomeLeg sexier]] outfit, much unlike the modest one she actually wore in the movie.

* [[http://www.lookatme.ru/flow/kino/star-wars/61120-ofitsialnyie-sovetskie-plakatyi-k-filmu-zvezdnyie-voynyi The official promotional posters]] for the first Soviet release of ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars IV: A New Hope]]''. 3 alien heads, a scrapyard-assembled cowboy, a panther with lightsaber mane and a rock head. By painters off their meds. The texts are technically correct: "Star Wars: a galactic Western" or "Star Wars: a space Western".
** And there was also [[https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/05/1-star-wars-poster.jpg this]] poster for the American release. Mark Hamil is more muscular than he actually was, and is holding a lightsaber in a fighting pose; in the movie, the character only used one in the training scene, and wouldn't fight with one until the next movie. Another version of the poster was even more deceptive showing Carrie Fischer in a [[ShowSomeLeg sexier]] outfit, much unlike the modest one she actually wore in the movie.

* The [[http://tmsimg.com/assets/v8/AllPhotos/2002/p2002_p_v8_aa.jpg original poster]] of ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1962'' depicts the Phantom swinging on the soon-to-be-falling chandelier as the audience below looks up in terror. Actually, he is not in any way responsible for the chandelier's fall in this version - in fact, he [[spoiler:dies after he sees it coming down and [[HeroicSacrifice pushes Christine out of its way]]]].

* The [[http://tmsimg.com/assets/v8/AllPhotos/2002/p2002_p_v8_aa.jpg original poster]] of ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1962'' depicts the Phantom swinging on the falling chandelier as the audience below looks up in terror. Actually, he is not in any way responsible for the chandelier's fall in this version - in fact, he [[spoiler:dies after he sees it coming down and [[HeroicSacrifice pushes Christine out of its way]]]].