Jack Nicholson’s ‘The Shining’ axe heads to auction for up to £50,000

Kubrick’s annotated scripts and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ prop are also among the auction highlights

An iconic special effects axe used by Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic The Shining is heading to auction, with a list price of £30,000 to £50,000.

The axe was wielded by Nicholson as Jack Torrance during one of the film’s most recognisable sequences. Torrance hacks through a locked bathroom door while pursuing his wife Wendy, played by Shelley Duvall, before delivering the famous line "Here’s Johnny!" The prop is also associated with the killing of Dick Hallorann, played by Scatman Crothers.

The item is among hundreds of pieces being offered from Kubrick’s personal archive. The auction, organised by Bonhams, is scheduled to take place in London on February 3, 2027, following public exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London.

Several other items from The Shining are included. They include the two sky blue dresses worn by the Grady twins, Alexa and Alexie, during the eerie scene in which they invite Danny Torrance to play with them. A clapperboard from the film is also being offered alongside clapperboards from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut.

The auction’s expected top lot is a model of the cosmic foetus, known as the star child prop, from the final scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is estimated to fetch up to £800,000.

Kubrick’s annotated film scripts are also among the highlights, offering notes, drawings and alternative scenes from productions including The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lolita. His personal script from Spartacus, his director’s chair and a chess set are also part of the collection.

The sale offers collectors an opportunity to acquire objects connected to one of cinema’s most influential directors, whose meticulous approach to filmmaking helped make the term "Kubrickian" part of film vocabulary and remains associated with his distinctive style.