An original Tablet of Ahkmenrah prop used in both Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), the sequels to the hit 2006 adventure comedy Night at the Museum, starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, and Rami Malek.
The Tablet of Ahkmenrah is the magical heart of the entire franchise, the golden Egyptian artifact whose power brings the museum's exhibits to life each night. In Battle of the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History closes for renovations, with many exhibits being replaced by interactive holograms and the originals shipped to the Federal Archives at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. On the last night, Larry (Stiller) reconnects with his exhibit friends, including Theodore Roosevelt (Williams), Rexy the Tyrannosaurus skeleton, and Dexter the capuchin monkey, and learns that several exhibits, including Teddy, Rexy, the Easter Island Head, and the good Pharaoh Ahkmenrah (Malek) and his Tablet, are staying behind. Without the Tablet, the departing exhibits will no longer come to life, a truth Teddy has kept from them so they can enjoy their final night together.
After its use on Battle of the Smithsonian, the tablet was loaned back to the production for the 2014 sequel Secret of the Tomb, giving this single prop a screen history spanning two films in the beloved trilogy. As the object the entire story revolves around, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah stands as a true centerpiece of modern family film history.
More from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
