Jack Nicholson's axe from The Shining and the eerie Star Child prop from 2001: A Space Odyssey are heading to Los Angeles this fall, part of a sprawling first-ever auction of Stanley Kubrick's personal archive. The items go on public display locally from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6, offering film fans a rare, up-close look at artifacts pulled straight from the director's own vaults before they cross the Atlantic for a London sale early next year.
The collection is described as the first auction ever drawn from the Stanley Kubrick Film Archives, and it is enormous: hundreds of items spanning original props, annotated scripts, production materials, awards, filmmaking equipment and personal possessions, according to Gizmodo. As MyNewsLA reports, the Los Angeles display is just one stop on a tour that will also touch down in New York and Paris before everything converges in London for the live sale.
Among the star attractions is the Star Child prop from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the infant figure seen in the film's final moments. It is also expected to be the single priciest item in the entire sale.
The Shining's Most Chilling Props Join the Lineup
Horror fans will find plenty to study, too. The sale includes the axe wielded by Jack Nicholson's character during the Dick Hallorann murder scene in The Shining, along with the two sky-blue dresses worn by the Grady twins, Alexa and Alexie, as reported by The Guardian. The same report notes the auction will also offer four clapperboards spanning The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut, alongside Kubrick's annotated scripts, drawings and alternative scenes, including his personal working script from 1960's Spartacus.
Beyond the horror and sci-fi showpieces, bidders will be able to compete for more intimate glimpses of the director's working life. Kubrick's own director's chair is part of the lot list, as is a chess set he personally owned, underscoring how thoroughly the collection draws from his day-to-day creative and personal spaces rather than just the sets themselves.
Estimates Point to a Seven-Figure Centerpiece
Early estimates give a sense of just how much some of these pieces could command. The Star Child prop is expected to fetch up to £800,000; the Grand Junction Sentinel lists its estimate at $805,200 to $1,073,600.
The Shining axe carries an estimate of £30,000 to £50,000; in dollar terms, the Grand Junction Sentinel lists the axe at $40,260 to $67,100 and the costumes at $53,680 to $80,520. Kubrick's director's chair carries a far more modest estimate of $10,735 to $16,105, and the chess set is pegged at just $2,685 to $5,370, the Sentinel reports.
Tour Dates Stretch Into Next Year
After its Los Angeles stop, the traveling exhibition is scheduled to continue on to Paris before the full collection goes on view in London from Jan. 18 through Feb. 2, the article notes. The live auction itself takes place at Bonhams in London on Feb. 3, 2027, followed by an online sale that closes the next day, Feb. 4, per the Sentinel's report. The exhibition begins in New York Oct. 16-23, before the Los Angeles stop Nov. 2-6, giving Angelenos a chance to see pieces of Kubrick's world up close before they scatter to new owners around the globe.
