10 Snappy facts about E.T.

It wasn’t just E.T. that became a household name back in 1982, but also that of a film director, Steven Spielberg. His creation of E.T. was a huge success and has since become an 80s cult movie. Here are 10 Snappy facts about E.T.

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Top spots

Steven Spielberg’s E.T. was an instant box office hit, and it surpassed Star Wars released the same year, as the highest-grossing film that year. It carried that title until 1993 when it was dethroned by Jurassic Park. Another Spielberg classic. In all technical terms, Spielberg held the position for the top-grossing films for fifteen years.

The Poltergeist factor

Spielberg initially wrote E.T. to be a horror film about an alien terrorizing a suburban family. However, he took the decision to rather make it a family movie. The script was then adapted and the original would become Poltergeist.

Adorable face

E.T.’s face is said to be a combination of Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug.

Enter Drew Barrymore

Barrymore initially auditioned for Poltergeist, as Carol Anne. Spielberg did not approve of her character. This was when she landed the role of Gertie in E.T.

Kids only

Spielberg decided to keep the movie kids-centric, and all of the filmings was done at eye level of the children actors. Only the mother’s face was shown from the beginning of the movie, with other adult actors’ faces only appearing in the second half of the movie.

The audition of Henry Thomas

In his audition for Elliot, Henry decided to think about his dead dog, thus delivering a performance that even made Spielberg cry. He was hired on the spot.

Harrison Ford

It was intended that Ford would play a cameo role as Elliot’s teacher, but in the end, it was edited out, as Spielberg was concerned it might distract the audience’s attention.

No last name

Elliot’s last name is never mentioned in the movie.

Cinemas only

In the early 1980s, you had to see a movie in the cinemas, or you never got to see it. The rise of the VCR and VHS tapes was still new, and Spielberg was skeptical about the medium. Only after constant pressure by fans, did he give in and allowed the movie to be sold on VHS for home use.

Filming as the story goes.

In order to get the most natural response and acting from the children actors, the whole movie was chronologically filmed. This culminated in the tearful final scene where Elliot says goodbye to E.T.

Reference:

24 Out-Of-This-World Facts About E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (factinate.com)

20 Fascinating Facts About “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (buzzfeed.com)