DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions made history yesterday during its Dec. 9–10 Hollywood & Entertainment Signature® Auction, where the original 1977 half-sheet artwork created by illustrator Tom Jung for Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope sold for $3.875 million, making it the most valuable piece of Star Wars memorabilia and piece of movie poster art ever sold at auction.

The landmark result helped define the two-day event, which realized $7.71 million, powered also by a trove of The Wizard of Oz treasures, the unforgettable Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood’s Pale Rider pistol and more. The auction saw more than 2,600 international bidders across more than 600 lots.

Jung’s painting — the first widely published image used to promote Star Wars — shattered every existing franchise record, surpassing the screen-matched “Red Leader” X-Wing filming miniature ($3.125 million through Heritage in 2023) and Darth Vader’s lightsaber ($3.654 million). Its sale also sets a new world auction record for any piece of movie poster art, dramatically eclipsing the previous benchmark achieved by Heritage of $687,500 for Bob Peak’s Apocalypse Now artwork.

“This isn’t just a milestone for Star Wars. It’s a landmark moment for the entire field of pop culture collectibles and artwork,” says Charles Epting, Heritage’s Director of Consignments, Pop Culture & Historical. “This painting defined the visual language of one of the most beloved films of all time, and its impact clearly still resonates with collectors at the highest level.”

The painting was consigned directly by the family of producer Gary Kurtz, offering fans and collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a foundational piece with impeccable provenance and further underscoring Heritage Auctions’ commitment to presenting the most significant and historically meaningful works of popular culture.

On the topic of Star Wars: One of the most significant visual-effects artifacts in the auction was the screen-matched Ewok Village matte painting from Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, which realized $162,500. Created by ILM matte artist Christopher Evans, the sweeping acrylic-and-oil composition depicts the treetop settlement on the forest moon of Endor — the iconic setting where the Ewoks shelter Luke, Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO in one of the film’s most memorable sequences.

Material from the estate of Fred Roos, the famed “consigliere of New Hollywood” and longtime creative partner to George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, delivered standout results as well, with his personal Godfather Part II script realizing $25,000. Spielberg’s blockbuster legacy was also represented through an FX breakaway transom panel from the ORCA II used in Jaws, which brought $35,000. The panel, featuring the “O” and “R” from Quint’s doomed vessel, appeared in the film’s climactic confrontation and remains a rare surviving artifact from its notoriously difficult water-based shoot.

The 1980s surged again when John Cusack’s screen-used trench coat from Say Anything, synonymous with Lloyd Dobler’s boom-box declaration of love, sold for $61,250. Few garments in modern cinema are as immediately identifiable as this oversized coat, which helped define the emotional honesty of Cameron Crowe’s cult classic. A screen-used Grays Sports Almanac from Back to the Future Part II, sourced from the collection of property master John Zemansky, realized $37,500. Instantly recognizable as the object that fractures the film’s timeline, the Almanac remains one of the most beloved props in the trilogy’s mythology.

“This auction showcased the incredible momentum in entertainment collecting, with passionate engagement from fans across every corner of pop culture,” says Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena. “Children of the 1970s and ’80s who grew up on Jaws and Star Wars are now leading the charge, driving prices higher as they seek to reconnect with the films that shaped their lives. Collectors today are honoring the moments, the creativity and the legends that continue to inspire us.”

Hollywood’s Golden Age shone brightly in the auction with the sale of some extraordinary artifacts from The Wizard of Oz (1939), led by Margaret Hamilton’s screen-worn Wicked Witch of the West flying hat, which realized $575,000.One of only a few surviving examples and uniquely preserved with its original chinstrap used during the film’s flying sequences, the hat stands as an instantly recognizable symbol of cinematic villainy and transformation. Designed by MGM’s legendary costumer Adrian, the hat’s dramatic silhouette has become inseparable from Hamilton’s iconic performance, and its sale follows Heritage’s world-record-setting $32.5 million result for Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers in 2024, reaffirming the enduring power of Oz in the memorabilia market.

Additional highlights included Judy Garland’s “rehearsal slipper” used during production to protect the jeweled Ruby Slippers, which sold for $62,500, and her original crème organdy blouse from the film, which realized $87,500. Both pieces, sourced from the storied Michael Shaw Collection, exemplify the extraordinary costume craftsmanship that shaped Oz into an enduring classic. A pair of Western Costume Company 50th Anniversary Commemorative Ruby Slippers sold for $137,500,while an Emerald City “Wash & Brush Up Co.” scarecrow groomer hat realized $68,750.A pair of cast-signed bootssigned in ink by Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Judy Garland and more sold for $47,500.

There were numerous star attractions spanning cinema’s rich history throughout the event. Among the most celebrated results was Clint Eastwood’s “Preacher” hero Remington 1858 New Model Army revolver, rig, and spare cylinder from Pale Rider, which achieved $143,750. Used by Eastwood in what became the highest-grossing Western of the 1980s, the weapon embodies the supernatural mystique of the Preacher and furthered Eastwood’s storied “man with no name” legacy. The revolver was offered with its C.F. Stembridge holster, signed by Eastwood, making it one of the most coveted hero firearms from his career. Classic Western fans also pursued Henry Fonda’s flat-brim hat from Once Upon a Time in the West, which brought $38,750. Cast deliberately against type by Sergio Leone, Fonda delivered one of cinema’s most chilling villain portrayals, and the hat remains a defining symbol of that transformative role.

Also riding high was Elvis Presley’s 1976 Harley-Davidson Bicentennial 1200 FLH Electra Glide, purchased by Presley on August 11, 1976, just a year before his death. The motorcycle, accompanied by its original Elvis-signed title, realized $125,000. Its sale underscores Presley’s enduring cultural presence as collectors continue to seek personal artifacts that illuminate the humanity behind the legend.

“This auction was a fitting finale to a banner year for Heritage and a clear reminder of why collectors worldwide look to us as the premier destination for pop culture treasures,” says Maddalena.