Breaking the record for the most expensive Star Wars prop sold at auction, an X-Wing fighter built by ILM for A New Hope, one of only four hero models built for the 1977 film, sat in a box in the garage of the late Oscar-nominated model builder Greg Jein, and a recent Dallas auction saw the piece sell for $3.135 Million.
The X-wing — part of the collection of late Oscar-nominated modelmaker Greg Jein, which was auctioned this weekend — had been thought to have been lost for decades and was recently found in a box in Jein’s garage.
“Heritage just set the record for the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction,” said Joe Maddalena, exec vp Hollywood/entertainment memorabilia at Heritage Auctions, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The worldwide response to the Greg Jein collections has been outstanding, a true testament to Greg and all he accomplished as visual effects artist and collector.”
Built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the “Red Leader” (Red One) X-wing is one of just four “hero” filming miniatures with articulating servo-controlled wings and lights, according to the auction description. Hero models were built for close-ups and used in the final battle, including the trench run.
“This model has not been displayed or modified since it left ILM,” VFX historian Gene Kozicki toldThe Hollywood Reporterin a recent interview. “For those of us that grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, and those of us that work in visual effects, this model is as significant a find as the ruby red slippers or the Maltese Falcon.”
Don’t forget we have the latest Prop Store auction taking place 9th and 10th November, so stay tuned for plenty of news from what’s sure to be a memorable auction.
