Why are there movie stills that don't appear in movies at all?

Advertising and editing. Happens in trailers, too, where they show scenes that do not appear in the movie itself.
Often times it is because the scenes were removed during editing, because they did not really work in the context of the movie.
But sometimes it is because they create scenes just for the trailer, for advertising purposes, or because the scene they initially wanted to use for it was not good enough.

A film still isn’t one frame from a movie; it’s a posed photograph, taken on- or off-set during production. Stills get sent with press kits and other promotional materials, often before a film’s been edited and locked.

When I worked in the photography business, I knew a couple of movie still photographers. Sounds like an oxymoron but it’s a real job.

A lot of stills are staged only for the movie’s promotions, or may be cuts that ended up on the editing floor.

Also, some directors film certain shots at the request of Marketing for the sole purpose of being in the trailer.

From the recent Spider Man: Homecoming movie: The shot of Spidey and Iron Man swinging/flying through New York together was put together just for the trailer. It was never intended for the movie.

Because, as the old saying goes, movies are made in the editing room. The editing for a film is usually done in within the final few weeks (sometimes even days) of a film’s release, while promotional and marketing materials are being sent out months in advance.

^ Can’t really add anything else, all good answers

But thanks for mentioning Out of the Past, amazing film, but haven’t seen it forever. Definitely need to watch it this week.

thanks for mentioning Out of the Past

Mimi is a film noir maven.

Hey, Mimi, you recommended Rififi a while ago. I borrowed it yesterday and it’s sitting here on my desk. But it’s Blu Ray and I don’ have a Blu Ray player.

:-(

@Call_Me_Jay well I get my movie through torrent, so I don’t know what to advice :p Maybe you can find another format or hit Youtube for a free version.

@all thanks for your answers. Promotional contents, I should have guessed. But at least I learned something about how people promote their movies :)

This is probably the most famous still from Apocalypse Now, and it isn’t in the movie, but it captures the horror his character witnessed.
That’s what sells tickets.