'Star Wars' News: Princess Leia Gold Bikini Costume Sells at Auction for $96,000
Carrie Fisher's iconic gold bikini costume from the classic 1983 sci-fi film "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" was sold at an auction on Oct. 1 for $96,000.
According to CNET, an anonymous bidder purchased the slave outfit donned by Fisher's Princess Leia while imprisoned by Jabba The Hutt. The costume was one of several movie props and memorabilia offered at the Profiles in History auction house on Thursday.
Bidding for the outfit began at $80,000, and was estimated to reach $120,000, before the lucky benefactor snagged it for $96,000. The winner of the auction also received the accompanying collar and chain links, as well as a letter of authenticity from Industrial Light and Magic designer Richard Miller, who sculpted the original model. Also included were associated materials, like design molds and drawings, production slides, and notes on Fisher's measurements. .
The gold getup is only one version of the costume used in "Return of the Jedi," and it was ultimately replaced after Fisher lost weight during filming. It is made of painted urethane rubber.
The auction featured other "Star Wars" memorabilia, such as a miniature model of Princess Leia's Rebel Blockade Runner, which she used to escape from Darth Vader in the opening of the first film. The model sold for $450,000, more than doubling the opening bid of $200,000.
Other items included a Darth Vader helmet prototype, the Naboo blaster from "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," and pages from the films' scripts. Famous Hollywood items such as Arnold Schwarzenegger's jacket from "Terminator 2" and Marty Mcfly's (Michael J. Fox) shoes from "Back to the Future: Part II" were also on auction at the event.
Although the gold bikini costume has found its place in pop culture history, Fisher is unlikely to fret over its sale. When asked if she still had the outfit at the Hay festival last year, she replied, "Why would I keep a stupid outfit like that, so that years later I could say to you I have it?"
Fisher will reprise her role as Princess Leia in the new film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this December.
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