Steven Spielberg is known for consistently making excellent films, and his 1982 sci-fi hit, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is considered one of his best. The movie perfectly captures what makes Spielberg such a celebrated director – it’s full of both incredible wonder and heartfelt emotion, creating a story that is both fun and deeply moving. At its core, E.T. is about the touching connection between a boy named Elliott and an alien, and the strong friendship they form before a sad farewell. For years, fans have wondered if Elliott and his alien friend ever reunited, and now Spielberg is finally sharing the answer.
I was listening to Spielberg on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, talking about his new movie, and the host asked about Elliott and E.T. – if they ever met up again. Spielberg said they didn’t, not exactly. He explained that Elliott did continue to dream about E.T., suggesting they always had a sort of psychic connection. He even pointed out that in the movie, E.T. touched Elliott’s forehead and promised, ‘I’ll be right here,’ which really cemented that bond for me.
Why E.T. Never Received a Sequel
When E.T. came out in 1982, it was a massive success, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever at the time. Usually, a film that popular would immediately get a sequel, but E.T. is an exception. Surprisingly, Steven Spielberg actively fought against making a follow-up movie, which was challenging because he didn’t have full control over the project. He briefly considered E.T. 2, but the only result was a novel called E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet. Ultimately, no sequel was ever made, allowing the original E.T. to remain a classic, standalone film.
You know, it’s funny when Spielberg says Elliott never saw E.T. again, because Henry Thomas, the actor who played Elliott, actually did revisit that role! He was in an Xfinity commercial a few years back where E.T. came back to visit his family for the holidays. It was a really sweet spot, but apparently, it’s not actually part of the movie’s story. Spielberg is the ultimate authority on E.T., so if he says they never reunited on screen, then that commercial was just a fun little ‘what if?’—a way to play on all our nostalgia for the film.
In a 2022 interview with ComicBook, Thomas explained that the Super Bowl commercial feels like the closest thing we’ll get to a sequel to E.T., and he believes that’s a good thing. He pointed out that E.T. is such a perfect film that making a worthy follow-up would have been extremely difficult, even for a director as talented as Spielberg. The movie was also very personal for Spielberg, inspired by his own childhood experiences with his parents’ divorce. The story feels complete and specific to its time, and the original film doesn’t leave any obvious storylines unfinished. Trying to revisit that world would be a big gamble, as even successful legacy sequels can easily miss the mark.
As a huge movie fan, it always gets me a little down that Elliott and E.T. never had another proper meeting. Their connection was so strong, and they clearly meant the world to each other, so I always wished they’d gotten more time together. I guess fans like me can find some comfort in knowing they shared this incredible psychic link – it felt like their bond went beyond anything normal. Thinking about it, even though it wasn’t a real visit, the dreams Elliott had felt so vivid, and I’m really curious if Spielberg ever reveals more about what happened in those dream sequences. It really seems like E.T. managed to find a way to stay with Elliott, always, in a way that truly mattered.
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2026-06-12 17:41