Topline
More than 1,000 objects that belonged to British actor Jeremy Bulloch, who portrayed the cult favorite Boba Fett in two Star Wars films, will be auctioned off next month in a sale of memorabilia from the intergalactic franchise, one of the most popular and valuable of all time.
Jeremy Bulloch attends a photo call at the “Star Wars Identities: The Exhibition” on July 26, 2017 … [+]
Key Facts
Bulloch’s portrayal of the bounty hunter in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi helped make the character a fan favorite, despite playing the entirety of the role in a face-covering helmet and having minimal screen time.
Included in late actor’s items that will be auctioned on May 4 – a callback to the famous line, “may the force be with you” – are a lifesize statue of Boba Fett that Bulloch modeled for that is expected to sell for as much as $15,675, East Bristol Auctions told The Guardian.
Also up for sale is footage that appears to show early film tests of Ewoks, the small, furry creatures that helped the rebels take down the Empire in Return of the Jedi, which could bring in as much as $6,531, as well as a replica of Boba Fett’s helmet – which Bulloch sometimes wore jokingly for media interviews – that is estimated to fetch as much as $1,045.
One of the stranger items up for sale is a photograph of Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, on which she wrote to Bulloch, “Jeremy – thanks for the nite of hot monkey love.” (It’s unclear what the joke is referring to, according to The Guardian).
Bulloch’s widow Maureen said her late husband amassed the memorabilia collection while filming his two Star Wars movies, as well as at Star Wars conventions in the following years, and told The Guardian Bulloch “loved and appreciated” each object.
Bulloch died in 2020 from complications tied to Parkinson’s disease, and part of the proceeds from the auction will go to London-based nonprofit Parkinson’s UK, which funds research and support for people affected by it.
Key Background
Star Wars is among the most popular entertainment franchises of all time and has made its creator George Lucas a billionaire worth $6 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time wealth tracker. In 2012, he sold his production firm to Disney for $4.1 billion in stock and cash. Memorabilia from the series is very popular at auction. In 2017, the R2-D2 droid used during filming for A New Hope (the franchise’s first movie release) sold for $2.76 million at auction, setting the record for the most expensive Star Wars memorabilia. More recently, the franchise has expanded to include its first live-action series with The Mandalorian, which has won 14 Emmy awards. The title character, played by Pedro Pascal, is a bounty hunter with a connection to Boba Fett through the armor he wears.
Further Reading
Bounty of Boba Fett actor’s Star Wars collection to go on auction (The Guardian)