The Aviator 2004 biopic of Howard Hughes

I was reading about autograph values the other day.

And an interesting example came up.

The 2004 release of the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator caused a big spike in the value of Hughes’ autograph.

Time Magazine cover showing Howard Hughes

Hughes made money from oil, airplanes, movies and was a huge public figure.

You can see something of a perfect storm around that movie: a huge star, Leonardo DiCaprio, working with legendary director Martin Scorcese. It was a good film. And Hughes, while historically important and in his time one of the most well-known people in American life, was probably not at the forefront of many people’s thoughts in 2004.

Cue the price boom.

Every collector knows that attention - which can be very fickle - drives demand and that pushes up prices.

Ultimately that means that the death of an artist or star can drive huge price increases.

Kurt Cobain is just the most glaring recent example of a collecting trend that’s become a cliché.

Predicting death isn’t pleasant. But you can look at something more predictable.

Movie release schedules.

They certainly drive attention.

Here’s a quick run through announced Hollywood movie releases for 2026 that might drive some demand for collectors.

Sequels and remakes:

You don’t have to look far for opinions on Hollywood’s originality problem. Sequels and remakes are a way to use an established brand - a studio might think this is a less risky investment.

For collectors, the obvious boost will be in interest around originals and earlier films in series.

2026 will see entries in this category for:

Probably not a musical comedy from this early poster image, 28 Years Later is likely to have horror fans excited.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a movie in the 28 Days Later series. Props from the original have made over £1,000 at auction, and a poster sold for £175 in 2017. We know the horror genre has a huge, dedicated band of buying collectors, and are the extra years and a new episode going to boost those prices in 2026?

Scream 7. Will those kids ever be safe? Another horror series is sure to see lively action on the convention circuit, with Neve Campbell returning and surprise roles for actors from very early entries in the sequence, it looks like the makers are looking to hark back to the 1990s originators. This could be good news for collectors. A Ghostface costume from the first movie sold for $215,000 in 2024.

There’s a natural timing to these cycles. If you were a teenager when the first Scream movie came out then you’re going to be in your 40s now, you might have money to spend, and you might be nostalgic for your teen years. This sequence plays out very obviously in the collecting market - Nirvana are currently in vogue in the rock market.

You should also look out for a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, a remake/reboot of The Exorcist (horror again), and Shrek and Toy Story episodes.

Crossing media

Adaptations are commonplace, and they can put the focus on long-lost cultural artefacts.

Here are a couple of opportunities to get ahead of market rises in literature.

A portrait of the Bronte sisters. Interest in all their work is likely to be piqued by a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte’s most famous work is rarely out of the cultural spotlight for long, but a big budget film starring Margot Robbie is going to up the voltage quite a bit. Robbie is a star to invest in for collectors. This movie will no doubt put the original novel back on the shelves and is also likely to boost interest in mid-19th century costumes for example. In 2020, a first edition of Wuthering Heights sold for £87,500 at auction. It would be surprising if major auction houses weren’t planning big Bronte sales for 2026 - is there a way you can get in on the upswing?

The Cat in the Hat. Though it might also be considered a remake - the book has been filmed before - a new version of The Cat in the Hat is also likely to promote crossover interest in Dr Suess and his extensive catalogue of children’s books. There are 44 Dr Seuss titles, and you can buy them for good prices now. First editions in very good condition will cost you thousands of pounds. Original art can also be expensive, going for as much as $60,000, but there certainly seems to be room to find bargains ahead of this big planned release with input from Kung Fu panda animators.

Christopher Nolan is filming the Odyssey with a hugely stary cast (Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway), and that’s going to put a spotlight on all sorts of Ancient Greek culture, be it author Homer, the Trojan War and even coins from the era.

Personalities, people and more

Basketball wizard Steph Curry is involved as a producer of GOAT, an animated comedy about the sport, that seems likely to shine an even brighter light on his extraordinary talents.

Steph Curry Golden City Warriors matchworn shirt

This Steph Curry jersey went for around $50,000 in 2023. His involvement with a big film project seems likely to send that price up, up, and away. Image courtesy of Sotheby's.

A sequel to Jumanji will recall the late Robin Williams who starred in the original. The makers will surely reference him somehow, and collectors should consider getting ahead of the curve.

There’s a Mario Brothers movie and games and gaming are becoming increasingly essential collectibles.

You can’t predict the future

This is all good fun, but all collectors and dealers know it’s hard to predict the future in the collectibles market - that’s part of the fun.

But, you’d be foolish to not use this sort of easily available information to plan your own buying and selling: you can bet the big auction houses are doing just that.