Star Wars R2-D2 droid to go on sale in auction

An R2-D2 droid that has appeared in several of the Star Wars movies is to go on auction in the US.

Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, Darth Vader’s helmet and shoulder armour, as well as imperial and rebel weapons will also go under the hammer, 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 two million US dollars (€1.8 million) in the June 26th to 28th auction, according to California-based auction house Profiles in History.

The bidding is being handled by Boston-based online auction marketplace Invaluable.

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The 43in-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.

Production deadlines

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 aluminium, steel and fibreglass 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 dollars to $250,000.

Unfortunately, the prop does not emit a blade of blue light.

The 10.5-in lightsaber comes from the archive of Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity signed by Mr Kurtz.

Props from some of Hollywood’s other world-famous movies are also for sale, including the illuminated disco dancing floor from Saturday Night Fever, which is expected to get as much as $1.5 million and the clothes worn by Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson in Titanic.

– (AP)