A lost X-Wing from 1977's Star Wars, now Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope, has sold for a record-setting $3.135 million at auction.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the X-Wing isn't one we see Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker sit in but instead a 20-inch model used to create the special effects for scenes like the destruction of the Death Star. The X-Wing was thought to be lost for decades but found in late modelmaker Greg Jein's garage and sold by Heritage Auctions in Dallas.
"Heritage just set the record for the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Hollywood and entertainment memorabilia at Heritage Auctions. "The worldwide response to the Greg Jein collection's been outstanding, a true testament to Greg and all he accomplished as visual effects artist and collector."
The X-Wing is one of just four similar models used by Industrial Light and Magic to create the original Star Wars, with this one being the Red Leader "hero" model. With articulating wings and lights, the hero models were used for close-ups and in the film's final battle.
IGN deemed A New Hope the second best Star Wars film behind only Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back. The original film also earned third place in IGN's list of the best sci-fi movies of all time.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
