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Boston — Die-hard Star Wars fans will need to rely on more than the force if they want to bid on an R2-D2 droid that appeared in several of the franchise's movies.
A couple million dollars might also help.
Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, Darth Vader's helmet and shoulder armour, as well as imperial and rebel weapons are on the block, but the centrepiece is no doubt the squat blue, white and silver droid famous for communicating in a series of electronic beeps and squeaks.
Representing "the pinnacle of the Star Wars collecting universe," it could fetch up to $2m in the 26-28 June auction, according to Calabasas, California-based auction house Profiles in History. The bidding is being handled by Boston-based online auction marketplace Invaluable.
The 43-inch tall R2 unit for sale is sort of a Frankenstein's monster of droids, pieced together over several years from different original components used in the first five Star Wars movies. There is no known complete original R2 unit, according to the auction house.
For the sequels after the original Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, production designers took the aluminum, steel and fiberglass R2 units, retired old and worn out parts and added new features to save time and meet production deadlines.
Fans outbid for the droid may want to take a shot at landing the lightsaber. Carried by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the first two Star Wars movies, it is expected to sell for anywhere from $150 000 to $250 000.
Unfortunately, the prop does not emit a blade of blue light.
The 10.5 -inch lightsaber comes directly from the archive of Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and is accompanied with a letter of authenticity signed by Kurtz.
Not a Star Wars fan? Props from some of Hollywood's most famous movies are also for sale, including the illuminated disco dancing floor from Saturday Night Fever, which is expected to get as much as $1.5m; and the clothes worn by Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson in Titanic.
(Photos: AP)
