logo
Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader to go up for auction

Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader to go up for auction

RTÉ News​16-07-2025
The Star Wars lightsaber used by villain Darth Vader will go under the hammer for the first time.
The weapon and duelling prop used in the 1980s films, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, will go up for auction in September.
The live auction, hosted by memorabilia auction house Propstore, coincides with the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, with the prop estimated to sell at £746,000 (€860,000) to £2,241,000 (€2,584,000).
The lightsaber was used during duels in the final acts of both films between Darth Vader, played by David Prowse, and Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.
🔥 The wait is over... this IS the Darth Vader lightsaber you've been looking for!
Find out more with our exclusive reveal with the @THR https://t.co/EHeupDYSeo #DarthVader #Lightsaber #StarWars #Propstore
— Propstore (@propstore_com) July 15, 2025
It was also used by the stunt performer and British Olympic fencer, Bob Anderson.
According to the auction house, genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are rare with this "believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop from the original Star Wars trilogy with verifiable screen use ever to be offered at public auction".
Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer at Propstore, said: "The lightsaber, or laser sword as it was initially called, was imagined by George Lucas as the perfect defensive weapon for a more sophisticated age.
"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.
"They are the 'ruby slippers' of cinema's modern era. Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honoured to present this historic artefact in our September sale.
"It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world. 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 lightsaber was made from a vintage British press camera flash handle with components such as plastic grips, calculator bubbles and cosmetic wiring.
It was modified with a wooden rod which was used as a blade during the choreographed fight scenes, making the physical on-camera duelling possible and allowing visual effects artists to add a hand-animated glow for the final shots.
Ahead of the auction, the prop will go on tour and visit London, Beverly Hills and New York throughout August before the live auction takes place in Los Angeles this September.
The tour will feature other film artefacts from Propstore's September Los Angeles Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, including Indiana Jones's bullwhip and belt, Sauron's helmet from the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring and the shark tooth clapperboard from the 1975 film Jaws.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dawn O'Porter reveals she's ‘always broke' despite Hollywood life with Chris O'Dowd
Dawn O'Porter reveals she's ‘always broke' despite Hollywood life with Chris O'Dowd

Extra.ie​

timea day ago

  • Extra.ie​

Dawn O'Porter reveals she's ‘always broke' despite Hollywood life with Chris O'Dowd

British writer and television presenter Dawn O'Porter has revealed that despite being married to Hollywood actor Chris O'Dowd, she is 'always broke' and lives 'pay cheque to pay cheque' The author and TV presenter, 46, who wed the Irish star back in 2012, made the stark admission in a recent interview, revealing she works hard to cover bills and rent. 'I work pay cheque to pay cheque,' said Dawn. 'I'm always broke. My card got declined last week. I'm like, what the f*** is happening? When will this end?' British writer and television presenter Dawn O'Porter has revealed that despite being married to Hollywood actor Chris O'Dowd, she is 'always broke' and lives 'pay cheque to pay cheque' Pic: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, she explained: 'I've never seen myself as a celebrity. Even though I'm married to Chris, who is quite a well-known actor, I don't think either of us have ever seen ourselves as celebrities. 'I guess if I was a celebrity, I'd get paid lots of money to do things that aren't necessarily my job or don't really feed what I do, but I don't. My job is writing, with the occasional little ad on Instagram to pay the rent.' Last Summer, Dawn returned to London with Chris and their two children; Art and Valentine, after eight years in Los Angeles. The author and TV presenter, 46, who wed the Irish star back in 2012, made the stark admission in a recent interview, revealing she works hard to cover bills and rent. Pic:for THR The star recalled meeting Chris just as her own career was collapsing, adding: 'Everything had fallen apart.' 'My TV career had just gone. I was so poor. I was so upset. I had zero confidence. I didn't know what I was going to do. I'd just met Chris, and he was on this trajectory up. I thought, well maybe this is just it. I'm just a girlfriend, and that's it.' Dawn's first ever red carpet was the 2011 premiere of Bridesmaids, the film that inevitably catapulted Chris to international fame. 'I work pay cheque to pay cheque,' said Dawn. 'I'm always broke. My card got declined last week. I'm like, what the f*** is happening? When will this end?' Pic:for BFI 'I always thought that if I was in this position, it would be because I'd done something to deserve it,' she reflected. 'We were living in LA and I just said to Chris, I've got to go back to London to try and claw back my career,' she said of their first time in the states. 'And we came back to London for a bit and I'd go for these meetings at TV production companies and I'd been successful. 'I had my own series on Channel 4… and they'd be like, 'What do you want to do?' and I was like, 'I want to do what I do'. But no one wanted to employ me.'

Star Wars creator George Lucas to make Comic-Con debut
Star Wars creator George Lucas to make Comic-Con debut

RTÉ News​

time3 days ago

  • RTÉ News​

Star Wars creator George Lucas to make Comic-Con debut

Comic-Con is taking place in San Diego, California until Sunday, with expectations running high among devoted fans keen to catch a glimpse of Star Wars creator George Lucas at his first-ever appearance at the convention. Other expected highlights of the gathering - one of the world's biggest celebrations of pop culture - include the world premiere of the prequel series Alien: Earth. Comic-Con began holding events in San Diego in 1970, as a low-key and rather niche huddle. It has now grown to an annual get-together that attracts 130,000 people eager to hear behind-the-scenes tidbits from Hollywood stars and directors unveiling their latest projects. This year's edition will be marked by the presence of legendary filmmaker Lucas, who has never visited the convention before despite Comic-Con culture being deeply rooted in his Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. In a session on Sunday set to be moderated by Queen Latifah, Lucas will discuss the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art with Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning artist Doug Chiang, who has shaped the iconic Star Wars universe for decades. The museum, scheduled to open in Los Angeles next year, will be dedicated to illustrated narratives and will house the Lucas archive. "Nearly five decades ago, Star Wars made one of its earliest public appearances at our convention, along with a booth featuring (comic book artist) Howard Chaykin's now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional item," said David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer. "Now, to have Mr Lucas... is a true full-circle moment. His lifelong dedication to visual storytelling and world-building resonates deeply with us and our community." Alien, Predator, and the end of the world Marvel Studios will have a smaller presence at the convention this year, skipping its eagerly awaited annual presentation in Hall H. According to Variety, changes to the premiere of the new Avengers instalment complicated logistics for the studio, whose cast is currently filming in the UK. Despite this notable absence, events at the coveted Hall H still promise great excitement for fans of science fiction, a core genre of the convention. On Friday, it will host the world premiere of the pilot episode of the prequel Alien: Earth, directed by Noah Hawley and due to arrive on streaming platforms in August. The series takes place a couple of years before the events depicted in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, offering an expansion of the venerated franchise. Watch: The trailer for Predator: Badlands Another favourite that will have its moment in the spotlight is Predator: Badlands, with a panel on Friday set to include director Dan Trachtenberg, who revitalised the brand with Prey (2022). Joining him will be stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the predator Dek. The panel is expected to reveal more from the production, which centres the predator as prey, not hunter, for the first time. On Saturday, award-winning actor Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (behind the new Spider-Verse trilogy) will present their Project Hail Mary, which is due in cinemas next year. The film, based on the book by Andy Weir (The Martian), follows Ryland Grace (Gosling), a former science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship to discover he's on a mission to save the Earth. Another presentation is for the highly anticipated second season of Peacemaker, with James Gunn (Superman) and his cast expected to offer sneak peeks. But it won't all be deadly serious - thousands of those in attendance will come dressed as princesses, warriors, aliens, and other characters from the pantheon of pop culture.

We were banned from entering Disneyland because of our ‘offensive' T-shirts, but our replacements were so ridiculous
We were banned from entering Disneyland because of our ‘offensive' T-shirts, but our replacements were so ridiculous

The Irish Sun

time6 days ago

  • The Irish Sun

We were banned from entering Disneyland because of our ‘offensive' T-shirts, but our replacements were so ridiculous

GOING to Disneyland is a dream for many. But one couple was stunned when they were banned from entering the 3 The couple were banned from entering Disneyland because of their tops Credit: Imgur 3 But the couple were eager to get in sod ecided to buy new ones at the gift shop Credit: Getty The pair headed for their day of fun The black T-shirt worn by the woman featured the hair of Princess Leia from Star Wars with the words 'I love you.' The shirt worn by the man was also black and featured a gun and read 'I know.' The shirts are in reference to one of the most iconic scenes of the franchise where Han Solo and Princess Leia kiss before he is dragged off by Storm Troopers. READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES However, according to the post the T-shirt designs were deemed inappropriate for Disneyland. The poster wrote: "My friends were forced to change out of their "offensive" shirts at Disney." The pair then went to the gift shop to pick out some new T-shirts to wear for the day and what they found was shocking. "Look what they picked out as replacements in DISNEY'S GIFT SHOP!" the user continued. Most read in Fabulous The picture then saw the couple hold up two shirts, one with a larger picture of Princess Leia with the words 'I love you.' The next shirt featured an image of Han Solo holding a gun with the words 'I know.' 3 What they found left them stunned Credit: Imgur Trolls branded my kids' uniforms 'inappropriate' but THEY'RE the real problem It's not the first time people have been visited Disney World in Florida, and she opted for a pair of black jeans and a white knotted crop top. But as she tried to enter Epcot theme park within the Disney World complex, Nicole was told her top violated the park's dress code policy. In a She said: "Guys it happened. I got dress-coded at Disney. "I was told to leave or get a shirt. So now we're getting a shirt." According to Disneyland's website, the dress-code bans clothing with objectionable material, including obscene language or graphics, excessively torn clothing or loose fitting clothing which may drag on the ground and create a potential trip hazard, clothing which, by nature, exposes excessive portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment and clothing with multiple layers are subject to search upon entry. How many Disney locations are there around the world? DISNEY parks are located in several countries around the world. Here's the list of countries with Disney parks: United States Disneyland Resort (Anaheim, California) Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando, Florida) France Disneyland Paris (Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris) Japan Tokyo Disney Resort (Urayasu, near Tokyo) China Shanghai Disney Resort (Shanghai) Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (Hong Kong)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store