[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A prop depicting a mosquito trapped in amber, which set the dinosaur resurrection plot of the film 'Jurassic Park' in motion, sold at auction for approximately 550 million won.
According to U.S. media outlets including the New York Post, the mosquito-in-amber prop is an iconic item from the 1993 film 'Jurassic Park.' It appeared at the beginning of the movie and sold for $403,200, or approximately 550 million won, at a Propstore auction held in Los Angeles on August 26 local time.
The prop had initially been expected to sell for between $100,000 and $200,000, but its final price far exceeded that estimate.
The prop appears in an early scene set at the 'Mano de Dios' amber mine in the Dominican Republic. Workers at the mine discover a prehistoric mosquito trapped in amber, and the insect becomes a key clue in the film's effort to recreate dinosaurs.
According to the film's premise, scientists extract dinosaur DNA from the blood of dinosaurs consumed by mosquitoes millions of years ago and use it to bring extinct dinosaurs back to life. The item sold at the auction is not a natural amber fossil containing a real ancient mosquito. It was made as a filming prop, with textures and colors applied to amber and rock to make them look authentic, along with a model representing a prehistoric mosquito placed inside.
According to Propstore, the prop measures approximately 10 centimeters wide, 15 centimeters long, and 6.25 centimeters high. It retains signs of use during filming, cracks in the resin, and some paint damage.
The auction also featured various high-value items representing films and television series, in addition to the mosquito prop.
A Starfleet phaser from 'Star Trek: The Original Series' sold for $315,000, or approximately 430 million won. The white suit worn by John Travolta in 'Saturday Night Fever' sold for $277,200, or approximately 380 million won.
The 'Superman' costume worn by actor Christopher Reeve sold for $233,100, or approximately 320 million won, while the Iron Man Mark 46 upper-body armor worn by Robert Downey Jr. in 'Captain America: Civil War' fetched $138,600.
The Neo costume worn by Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix Reloaded' also sold for $138,600. In addition, the Jack Sparrow hat worn by Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sold for $100,800, while Val Kilmer's whiskey cup from 'Tombstone' fetched $119,700.
A total of 296 film- and television-related props and costumes were sold on the first day of the auction. Including the buyer's premium, total sales reached $7.2 million, or approximately 9.8 billion won.
Jang Jong-ho, Reporter
bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
