(Newser) – It has been called “an object as important as the Maltese falcon or the ruby slippers,” although this piece of cinematic history is slightly more chilling: the ax from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. And it’s in the news again because it’s up for auction through auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll. TMZ summarizes some of the prop’s standout moments in the film, most notably the scene where Jack Nicholson’s character uses it to blow a large hole in a wooden door and then utters his infamous line, “It’s Johnny!!!” A study from the year 2013, which tracked moviegoers’ heart rates, revealed this was the film’s scariest scene, surpassing scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist, the Guardian reported at the time.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that the item isn’t expected to come cheap: TMZ reports that it should sell for at least $100,000. It’s quite possible that this will be a bargain. The Independent reported in 2019 that The Shining’s ax sold for nearly $210,000 at a London auction. It is not clear if it is the same ax that is now being auctioned, but the auction house states that it was “used in the film in a letter dated 8 November 2007 from NORANK Engineering, engineers for the film, television and entertainment industries. The ax prop is displayed in a shadow box frame, which also includes some photos from the film. Bidding begins Wednesday. (Read more stories about film props.)