Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 25th. The auction will begin at 9:30 AM (PDT) / 12:30 PM (EDT) / 4:30 PM (GMT) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, March 26th or Friday, March 27th.
A light-up distressed HammerTech Army drone on display from Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2. With the assistance of rival industrialist Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) created an army of assault drones programmed to kill Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). As part of that army, one drone was rigged to self-destruct that nearly killed Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) who was saved in time by Iron Man. Drones such as this one were used as set dressing and then enhanced digitally.
After the success of the first film, director Favreau pushed the limits of the visual effects used in the film. In an interview with Co-Producer Victoria Alonso and Visual Effects Supervisor Janek Sirrs in 2010, Sirrs discussed how practical effects were used and later enhanced with digital FX, stating that a real object enforced realism as opposed to "possibly drifting off into a CG world that may not feel as real." Over the course of production, 11 visual effect studios worked on Iron Man 2, including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Perception, among others. Iron Man 2 received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Visual Effects in 2011.
This drone is made of fiberglass and resin sections assembled around an interior metal armature as an army drone. It has a light-up head and chest unit activated by an internal switch, and an attached static resin machine gun with metal bullets. Production intentionally distressed this drone giving it a battle-damaged appearance with scorch marks, visible hardware, faux electronic components, rubber tubing, and exposed mesh details. It comes mounted to a display base. It exhibits chipped paint and exposed fiberglass. Dimensions: 31" x 31" x 83" (78.75 cm x 78.75 cm x 211 cm)
Additional Provenance: Certificate of Authenticity from Marvel.
Contains electronic and mechanical components; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Special shipping required; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Estimate: $8,000 - 16,000