Film props are prone to go missing as cast and crew members take the odd memento home from set, but District 9 star Sharlto Copley took one into an airport by mistake – and it just happened to be a gun.
Promoting his new film Hardcore Henry, Copley told techradar of the time he forgot he had a ray gun prop in his luggage and tried to board a flight to South Africa with it in his bag.
Copley said, "By mistake, I was going through airport security once with a District 9 model ray gun Weta [Workshop] made. I just forgot I had this toy in my bag.
"I went through security and this guy took it out. The guard was like 'There's a gun in your bag' and I was like 'no!' but then I suddenly realised 'Oh shit, I left the ray gun in there'.
"I was like 'oh no-no-no-no sorry, it's just a model. It's not even of a real gun, it's a model of a fake gun.'"
The Prawn Identity
Copley explained to the security guard, but he tried to confiscate the ray gun. Copley fought to be able to keep the prop though and eventually made his flight.
Adding insult to injury, Copley wasn't even allowed to take one of the ray guns home from the set when they finished filming District 9.
"Peter Jackson has most of the props somewhere in a warehouse in Wellington. Maybe one day I can go and see them and maybe steal a box. Or maybe I should just ask him for one."
Hardcore Henry is in cinemas April 8
