Jack Black has just revealed he still owns the Gibson SG that was the centerpiece of his iconic film, School of Rock – thanks to a genius workaround of Hollywood’s strict prop rules.
The family-friendly comedy film, which boasts a star-studded soundtrack, was a smash hit and became the highest-grossing music-themed comedy of all time when it was released in 2003. Perhaps most importantly, it helped introduce classic bands like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin to a new generation of music lovers, with rock-obsessive Black proving to be the perfect showman for its lead role.
However, while Black says that movie studios are extremely strict about their policy of not allowing actors to take keepsakes home after filming wraps, the actor and musician was one step ahead of them in 2003.
“I have the original School of Rock guitar. I saved it, it's mine,” he says in an interview with Screen Rant to promote his new film, Anaconda.
“I realized early on that the movie studios don't want anyone to have anything from those movies. The best you can do is, ‘You can borrow it, but sign this that says you'll never sell it and we actually own it,’” he continues.
The disappearance of the Gibson ES-345, which starred in Back to the Future and which Gibson is still scouring the globe for 40 years later, is evidence of why such rules are in place. Plus, if a movie becomes a hit, the props that brought it to life become hugely valuable assets.
It’s no surprise, then, that studios are not so eager to let their property leave their sights. Knowing this, Black hatched a plan.
“With that movie, I was like, ‘They're going to try to fuck me,’” he details. “I showed up on the first day of shooting, saying, ‘This is a guitar I bought at Guitar Center. I want to use my guitar in the movie, and then at the end it's still mine.’”
In more recent Jack Black news, the actor-musician's guitar-playing extended to the promo run of the 2025 Minecraft movie, during which he donned a pixelated Flying V for a playful appearance on Jimmy Fallon.
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