Latest news with #DavidProwse
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Darth Vader's lightsaber to be auctioned for the first time
Darth Vader 's iconic lightsaber prop from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi is set to be auctioned for the first time. The prop, famously wielded by David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson, is estimated to fetch between £746,000 and £2.2 million. The live auction will be hosted by memorabilia auction house Propstore in Los Angeles this September, coinciding with the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. This lightsaber is considered exceptionally rare, believed to be the only hero prop from the original Star Wars trilogy with verifiable screen use ever offered publicly. Constructed from a vintage British press camera flash handle, the prop will tour London, Beverly Hills, and New York throughout August before the sale.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Darth Vader's light sabre from Star Wars is yours to buy
The item is described as one of the most prized possessions in Star Wars history and a prime piece of pop culture history An original lightsaber used by iconic movie villain Darth Vader in the Star Wars trilogy is up for auction and is expected to cost over £1million. Darth Vader's main weapon - described by auctioneers as his "primary dueling lightsaber prop" - was used in the 1980 hit The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of the Jedi. It is described as one of the most prized possessions from the iconic sci-fi trilogy and a prime piece of pop culture history and is extremely rare. Having remained in the same private collection for decades, Propstore's auction marks the first time this extraordinary artifact will be available to the public at auction in September. 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. 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". The estimate on the prop is $1-3million(£746,000 to £2,241,000) when it is sold at auction house Propstore's "Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: Los Angeles" event. 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.
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader to go up for auction
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 to £2,241,000. 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. 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.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader to go up for auction
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 €860k to €2.6m. Darth Vader's lightsaber is going up for sale (Propstore/PA) 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. 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. The lightsaber was used in two films (Propstore/PA) '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.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Star Wars lightsaber used by Darth Vader to go up for auction
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 #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.
