Adam Savage got to check out some of the amazing pieces from a prop and memorabilia auction that covers movies and TV shows from Alien to Xena: Warrior Princess. The collection includes autographs, costumes, props, models, masks, and scripts. Adam Savage gets amazing access at Propstore in London and shared a series of videos. A few of our favorites are below.
This model used in Star Trek: The Next Generation is clearly the same class as the Enterprise, but this model actually stood in for other ships in the show. Savage’s interest in the details extends to the lighting, which is still functional though not shown off in the video above.
The Mummy is a remarkably fun movie, but seeing the how much work went in to the Book of the Living and Key of Hamunaptra makes it even more impressive. The book’s hinges and clasps are made of bronze and the pages are covered in gold leaf. These are both “hero” props and function as seen on-screen. Other “stunt” versions were lighter and used in action sequences when the actors had to tote the tome. Savage wears white gloves to open the key and the book. And it’s obvious he’s taking mental notes for when he inevitably builds his own versions of these gorgeous props.
This tauntaun head from The Empire Strikes Back spent some time in a Planet Hollywood restaurant (remember those?). Even though Savage worked in the ILM model shop during the Star Wars prequels, this prop from the original trilogy clearly impresses him. In the video above, he even suggests adding a tauntaun noise for the full effect and offers to add a button for the winning bidder.
Every version of Batman is different, with everything from his batsuit to Wayne Manor evolving. The video above compares two batarangs, one from the Dark Knight trilogy and the other from The Batman. They’re very different and match the caped crusader from each movie. There’s the polished folding prop from Batman Begins and the newest batarang that was actually part of the batsuit.
Adam Savage wields Gandalf’s sword, Glamdring, in this video (above) at Propstore. It’s made of aluminum and relatively lightweight so Ian McKellen could wield it take after take. As with the Mummy props, there would have also been heavier versions on set. Savage seems particularly keen on this prop and we wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he bid on it himself.
The auction took place November 2-6, 2022 but unsold lots go up again starting November 10. This isn’t the first time Adam Savage has checked out memorabilia from Propstore, he also shared a video from an earlier Star Wars-only auction. And it’s also where the auction of MythBusters props took place.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.