Christie's employee Caitlin Graham adjusts a Darth Vader costume in London. The helmet, mask, shoulder armour and shin guards of the costume were reportedly created for The Empire Strikes Back. (Lennart Preiss/Associated Press)

The Force can be with you, for a price, if you're looking to own a piece of movie history or a very expensive Halloween costume.

Christie's auction house says an original Darth Vader costume from the Star Wars film franchise, complete with black helmet and mask, is going on the block.

The outfit worn by the intergalactic villain, who was voiced by actor James Earl Jones and played by British actor Dave Prowse, is expected to sell for as much as $365,000 US.

"The global appeal of the Star Wars films, and the interest that the series has attracted from a number of generations, is perhaps unprecedented in the world of cinema," Christie's said in a release on Wednesday.

Christie's has sold "some incredible relics from popular culture in the past, from Dorothy's red slippers from The Wizard Of Oz to a dress made for Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's, " the auction house said.

"Arguably, the Darth Vader costume is the most iconic of all.''

The costume is believed to have been made for The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in George Lucas's sci-fi series, released in 1980 and starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.

The owner is identified only as an American private collector.

The sale of pop culture memorabilia takes place Nov. 25 in London.