The most famous trailers of all time
Movie trailers are almost as old as the medium of film itself, but why have they become so iconic over the years?
From summertime spectacles to spooky-season specials, film trailers are an art unto themselves, so here at BBC Bitesize, we thought it was time to give them the spotlight.
We've broken down the history of movie trailers, the iconic adverts that changed the game, and what rules the roost as the most viewed movie trailer of all time!
What was the first ever film trailer?
In 1888, Louis Le Prince created what is widely considered to be the world's first 'film'. Shot in Leeds, on 14 October 1888, 'Roundhay Garden Scene' marked a major advancement in the development of motion pictures. Cinema's popularity would boom over the subsequent decades, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that advertising was shortly to follow.
In 1913, 25 years after Le Prince's film, the first trailer was projected in cinemas. It was created by Nils Granlund, who worked as an advertising manager for Marcus Loew theatres, who spliced together rehearsal footage of a Broadway Play called The Pleasure Seekers.
Unlike trailers today, this was projected after films that were shown in Loew's theatres, giving rise to the name 'trailer', as the montagetrailed the film itself.
Trailers proved to be a big success, bringing about the creation of The National Screen Service (NSS) in 1919. The NSS went on to produce trailers that showed all around the country, holding almost complete control of the industry for around 40 years.
But as filmmakers grew in power and stature, everything was about to change…
How Psycho changed everything
In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's seminal horror film Psycho was released to the public at large.
The film caused a huge stir, with both censors and the general public, for its heart-pounding horror, exceptional editing, and American cinema's first depiction of a flushing toilet (no, seriously)!
But chief amongst its revolutionary endeavours, was a wild yet effective marketing campaign. The film's first trailer barely resembles what we know a trailer to be at all. Instead of featuring clips from the film, edited together with its iconic score, the trailer simply features director Alfred Hitchcock sauntering around the sets, describing the film as if its events were actually real.
He moves from the motel, to the house, finally ending in the bathroom that would play host to the film's most famous scene. Finally, Hitchcock tears back the shower curtain, unveiling actress Vera Miles, who lets out a bloodcurdling scream as the title smashes in.
The trailer also unveils the names of its two leads, most notably Janet Leigh, who was a huge star in Hollywood at the time, and a massive draw for moviegoers in the States.
Perhaps most interesting, however, is the trailer's final tagline - "the picture you MUST see from the beginning… or not at all!"
Far from just a snappy phrase, this tagline actually spoke to one of the strangest aspects of Psycho's release - in order to see the film, you had to arrive at the cinema on time. Under direct orders from Hitchcock himself, cinemas were not permitted to admit anyone to see the film should they arrive to a screening late.
Cinema owners worried about this bold strategy at first, but their fears were put at ease when queues for the film began lining entire streets!
Why are movie trailers so popular?
The purpose of a trailer, above all else, is to entice an audience into wanting to see a particular film or show. Creating a trailer is a fine balancing act, you need to show people just enough to get them engaged, without going too far and revealing the whole thing - leaving them with no reason to see the film.
Some of history's most iconic trailers do exactly that, creating a sense of intrigue and mystery that left audiences desperate to see more. One great example of this is Steven Spielberg's Jaws, widely heralded as the first modern blockbuster. The Jaws trailer opens deep under the sea, with the iconic sounds of John Williams' soundtrack adding a sense of foreboding and fear, before giving crowds a greater sense of what the film was about.
The trailer works by building a sense of mystery, establishing a clear tone, and withholding much of the action for an audience to experience when the full film opens.
Star Wars: The Fandom Awakens
It's hard now to imagine a time when a new Star Wars project was considered a rarity. In the last decade, the franchise has seen 12 new live action instalments across film and television, with additional animated projects coming along to further sweeten the pot.
But as of 2015, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened in cinemas, the franchise had been out of the live action game for around a decade. As such, hype for the film was at an all time high, with trailers dominating conversations across social media and breaking viewership records in the process.
The film's second trailer, released on 16 April 2015, went on to set the record for the 'Most viewed movie trailer on YouTube in 24 hours', accumulating a whopping 30.65 million viewers on the platform.
Even just recently, a post celebrating the 10th anniversary of the film's third trailer drew in over two million views on X (formerly known as Twitter) - with commenters reminiscing about where they were and who they were with when watching for the first time.
What are the most popular movie trailers of all time?
As far as trailer viewership goes, it's superhero movies that rule the roost!
Avengers Endgame, Avengers Infinity War and Spider-Man: No Way Home all have a place in the top 10, but it's 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine that holds the record for being the 'most viewed movie trailer in 24 hours', with an astonishing 365 million views!
The trailer first debuted at the Super Bowl, releasing across social platforms shortly thereafter, and shooting to viral success. The film marked the return of Hugh Jackman, in his iconic role of Wolverine, starring alongside Ryan Reynolds in the buddy-superhero flick.
In terms of animation, Moana 2 holds the viewership crown, racking up a massive 178 million views in just 24 hours when it first dropped. Inside Out 2, Frozen 2 and Incredibles 2 also sit in and around the podium places, showing the power and influence a sequel can have.
This article was written in October 2025.
