Star Wars lightsaber up for auction and could fetch millions
The ‘Star Wars’ lightsaber used by franchise villain Darth Vader will go up for auction in September in Los Angeles.
The weapon, used in the 1980s films, ‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi’.
Auction house Propstore will be selling the prop, which is expected to fetch $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 (£746,000 to £2,241,000).
David Prowse, who played Darth Vader, used the weapon during duels with Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.
“Genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are incredibly rare,” Propstore said.
“This is believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop with verifiable screen-use to ever be offered at public auction. It is one of the rarest and most sought after “grail” Star Wars props in existence.”
The saber was made using a flash handle of a vintage British press camera, and a wooden rod was used as a blade to make physical on-camera duelling possible.
The iconic glow of the lightsaber would then be added in after by visual effects artists for the final film.
Speaking to the BBC, Brandon Alinger, CEO at Propstore said: “Nearly 50 years after the first Star Wars film, lightsabers are a universally recognised symbol of the world’s most beloved film franchise and are consistently ranked as the most iconic and memorable props of all time.
“This lightsaber is simply everything you want it to be – one of the most significant Star Wars artefacts ever. One of the most significant cinema artefacts ever.”
The prop will tour London, Beverly Hills and New York throughout August before going up for auction at Los Angeles in September.
