E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
A boy and his alien friend change cinema forever.
E.T. The film tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth, and must help it return home. It became a landmark in cinema history, praised for its emotional depth and groundbreaking visual effects.
- director
- Steven Spielberg
- writer
- Melissa Mathison
- genre
- Science fantasy
- academy_awards_won
- 4
Lore & Background
The film's concept was based on an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce. Mathison wrote the first draft in less than two months, titled E.T. and Me, which went through two rewrites. Columbia Pictures rejected the project, doubting its commercial potential, but Universal Pictures purchased the script for $1 million. The animatronics were designed by Carlo Rambaldi.
Reader's Guide
E.T. The film received universal acclaim and is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. It earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. It also won five Saturn Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
Did You Know?
- The film was shot in rough chronological order to facilitate convincing emotional performances from the young cast.
- Columbia Pictures rejected the script, believing it had limited commercial potential and would appeal mostly to young children.
- The animatronics for E.T. were designed by Carlo Rambaldi, who also designed aliens for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- E.T. surpassed Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it held for eleven years.
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