Washington [US], January 27 (ANI): Director Steven Spielberg recently shared his experience of preventing a sequel to his iconic 1982 film ‘ET the Extra-Terrestrial’, calling it a “hard-fought victory” during an event.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, speaking alongside the ‘ET’ star Drew Barrymore, Spielberg recalled how he lacked the rights to prevent a sequel at the time of the film’s original release.
“That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn’t have any rights,” Spielberg shared, adding, “Before ‘ET’, I had some rights, but I didn’t have a lot of rights. I didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’ where you can stop the studio from making a sequel because you control the freeze on sequels, remakes, and other ancillary uses of the IP. I didn’t have that. I got it after ‘ET’ because of its success.”
The sci-fi family classic, which starred Barrymore alongside Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace, and Peter Coyote, became a cultural phenomenon, winning four Academy Awards and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1982.
It was also the first film to surpass USD 300 million at the US box office, a feat later eclipsed by Spielberg’s own Jurassic Park in the 1990s, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Spielberg went on to explain his decision not to make a sequel. “I just did not want to make a sequel. I flirted with it for a little bit — just a little bit to see if I could think of a story,” he said, adding, “The only thing I could think about was a book that was written called The Green Planet, which was all going to take place at ‘ET’s home. But it was better as a novel than I think it would have been as a film.”
He emphasized, “I have no intention ever of seeing ‘ET’ anywhere outside of this proscenium.”
Spielberg’s sentiments about not revisiting the beloved alien story were echoed by Barrymore, who shared her own recollections of their conversation about the sequel.
“I remember you saying, ‘We are not making a sequel to ‘ET’ I think I was eight. I remember being like, ‘OK, that’s a bummer, but I totally get it,'” Barrymore recalled, adding, “I thought it was a smart choice. I very much understand it. Where do we go from here? They’re just going to compare it to the first and leave something that’s perfect alone in isolation open to scrutiny.”
The idea of a sequel was indeed discussed in the 1980s, as the film’s immense success led Universal Pictures to consider a follow-up.
However, ‘ET’ writer Melissa Mathison’s passing in 2015 made it difficult to imagine continuing the story without her input.
“It’s hard to think about a sequel without a script from her,” said Thomas, who played Elliott in the film, during a recent appearance on Barrymore’s daytime show, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The panel was part of a retrospective discussion on the film, which included Spielberg and Barrymore reflecting on their time working together.
Spielberg spoke fondly about Barrymore’s audition, calling her character Gertie the “easiest” to cast.
He also recalled her enthusiastic “scream test” for the film, which was so intense that it damaged the equipment, a moment Barrymore recalled with pride, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The conversation also touched on the profound impact ‘ET’ had on both Spielberg’s and Barrymore’s lives.
Spielberg shared that working on the film made him realize he wanted to be a father, a feeling he hadn’t experienced before.
“Up until that point, I would just make movies. My life was obsessed with just telling stories,” he explained, adding, “But making ‘ET’ made me want to be a dad.”
For Barrymore, the film’s legacy remains life-changing. “‘ET’ for me is the one I’m the most proud of because it’s the one that changed my life,” she said, explaining that the film taught her the importance of being believed in by others.”
“Everything in my life is about how I got believed in by one human being, and that is the life that I try to honour every day,” she said.
‘ET the Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982), directed by Steven Spielberg, is a sci-fi family classic about a young boy named Elliott who befriends an alien stranded on Earth.
The film explores themes of friendship, compassion, and longing. It became a cultural phenomenon, winning four Academy Awards and becoming the highest-grossing film of its time, beloved by audiences worldwide. (ANI)
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