Despite its massive success, Steven Spielberg has no plan to develop a follow-up to his 1982 movie 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' and recalls fighting hard to prevent a sequel from being made.
- Jan 27, 2025
AceShowbiz - Steven Spielberg reflects on the decision to safeguard his beloved film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial". In a recent discussion at the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up event, the director shared his steadfast decision to prevent a sequel to his 1982 hit.
Joined by actress Drew Barrymore, who starred as the young Gertie, the famed filmmaker revealed how the success of "E.T." afforded him new rights, enabling him to control future adaptations of his projects.
"That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn't have any rights. Before E.T., I had some rights, but I didn't have a lot of rights," Spielberg shared. "I kind of 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 E.T. because of its success."
The director briefly considered a sequel, inspired by the book "The Green Planet", which envisioned a story taking place on E.T.'s home planet. Spielberg described it as an intriguing concept but one better suited to a novel than a film. He ultimately decided against continuing the story, as he felt any follow-up could tarnish the legacy of the original.
Barrymore, who was just a child during the film's production, recounted understanding Spielberg's stance even at a young age. "I remember you saying, 'We are not making a sequel to E.T.' I think I was eight. I remember being like, 'OK, that's a bummer, but I totally get it,' " she said.
"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."
Henry Thomas, who played the lead role of Elliott, echoed these sentiments in a recent interview, emphasizing the difficulty of imagining a sequel without the original writer, Melissa Mathison, who has since passed away.
Spielberg's reluctance was not merely about preserving the film's stature but also about the personal impact of making E.T. "Making E.T. made me want to be a dad. I'd never even had a thought about that until E.T.," recounted Spielberg, indicating how much the project shaped his own life.
Barrymore added that the movie changed her life as well, calling it the "one I'm the most proud of because it's the one that changed my life."
