MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — ‘The Force is Strong with Studio Auctions’ is the clever and apt title for the firm’s Saturday, February 17 sale. Packed with authentic screen-used props and other memorabilia from decades of film classics, the 100-lot auction is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.
In a nod to the sale’s name, this R2D2 prop was screen-used in the 2022 Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unlike the original, which housed diminutive actor Kenny Baker, this version is fully remote controlled. In addition, the underside of the robot’s dome is signed by virtually all the series’ cast members and crew. R2D2 comes with a Studio Auctions certificate of authenticity and is estimated at $130,000-$150,000.
Masks have long been a staple of the stage and screen, but few are as iconic — or terrifying — as the restraint mask worn by Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in the 1991 thriller Silence of the Lambs. This is the screen-worn mask used in the scene at the Memphis airport in which Lecter reveals Buffalo Bill’s identity and whereabouts during the meeting with Senator Martin (Brooke Smith). Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from the film’s producer, the chilling mask is estimated at $50,000-$60,000.
One of the most iconic elements in the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II was the Mattel hoverboard ridden by Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). The props were made by George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic in Marin County, California, and this example comes with a letter of authenticity from a former ILM employee. It is estimated at $40,000-$50,000.
Celebrity eyewear is an intimate way for fans to connect with their favorite stars. Studio’s sale includes two such examples. The first are sunglasses owned and worn by Steve McQueen (1930-1980) in the films Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair. The folding Persol Tortoise sunglasses were obtained from McQueen’s optician, Dennis Roberts, who made them for the actor. They are estimated at $30,000-$40,000.
Also instantly recognizable are John Belushi’s Ray-Ban sunglasses worn during the Briefcase Full of Blues tour in 1978 and 1979. Accompanying the pair is a letter from Paul Boren, who acquired the glasses while he was working on the tour. They are estimated at $10,000-$12,000.
![R2-D2 droid prop from 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' estimated at $130,000-$150,000 at Studio Auctions.](https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/170254998_1_x.webp)
R2-D2 droid prop from 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' estimated at $130,000-$150,000 at Studio Auctions.
![Hannibal Lecter’s restraint mask from 'Silence of the Lambs,' estimated at $50,000-$60,000 at Studio Auctions.](https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/170254972_2_x.webp)
Hannibal Lecter’s restraint mask from 'Silence of the Lambs,' estimated at $50,000-$60,000 at Studio Auctions.
![Marty McFly's hoverboard from 'Back to The Future: Part 2', estimated at $40,000-$50,000 at Studio Auctions.](https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/170254939_1_x.webp)
Marty McFly's hoverboard from 'Back to The Future: Part 2', estimated at $40,000-$50,000 at Studio Auctions.
![Steve McQueen’s personal sunglasses, estimated at $30,000-$40,000 at Studio Auctions.](https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/170254914_1_x.webp)
Steve McQueen’s personal sunglasses, estimated at $30,000-$40,000 at Studio Auctions.