The ET sequel

Following the disappointment of ‘1941’, Spielberg made a strong comeback with two hit films that solidified his standing in the industry once more. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ demonstrated to studios that he could deliver a film on time and within budget, while ‘E.T.’ surpassed even his own blockbusters ‘Jaws’ and George Lucas’s ‘Star Wars’, earning $797 million worldwide after spending just $10.5 million in production. Given the success of ‘E.T.’, studios were eager for a sequel, and Spielberg started brainstorming ideas for one.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I had the chance to reconnect with Drew Barrymore, one of my favorite actresses. During our conversation, she shared an interesting behind-the-scenes tale about her career. She reminisced, “Before ‘E.T.’, I had some rights, but not many. I didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’ the power to halt a studio from producing a sequel or other spin-offs because I controlled the freeze on such projects. I didn’t possess that. However, after the success of ‘E.T.’, I was granted that power.

He mentioned, “I didn’t feel the urge to create a follow-up, he elaborated. I briefly toyed with the idea – just a moment to test my imagination – and the only concept I could conceive was adapting ‘The Green Planet,’ a book set at E.T.’s residence, where we could explore E.T.’s life. However, I believe it would have been more suitable as a novel rather than a movie.

The sci-fi novel titled “The Book of the Green Planet” was published in 1985 by author William Kotzwinkle, who had previously written the official adaptation for the original E.T. film. In this story, E.T. returns to his home planet only to find it changed from his recollections, and he spends the rest of the book observing Elliot’s growth from afar across the galaxy.

Initially, E.T. held the title for the highest box office earnings, but after Jurassic Park earned over $1 billion, several movies have surpassed that mark, primarily by James Cameron or Marvel productions. Nevertheless, it’s highly improbable that we’ll see an E.T. sequel during Steven Spielberg’s lifetime.

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2025-01-28 12:23