Steven Spielberg “Flirted with” Visiting E.T.’s Home Planet in Unmade Sequel

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There are some movies that just don’t need sequels, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is one of them.

Initially, when the film released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in the summer of 1982 turned out to be an enormous success, director Steven Spielberg contemplated creating a sequel titled E.T. II: Nighttime Fears.

In the movie, the main character from outer space leaped into action to rescue Elliott (Henry Thomas), who along with his friends had been kidnapped by malevolent extraterrestrials. Henry Thomas shared in 2022 that there were whispers of sequel ideas floating around in the early ’80s, but Steven Spielberg considers this film as his masterpiece and signature work. He likely doesn’t want to harm its reputation.

During a recent chat at the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event, Steven Spielberg shared insights about the unreleased sequel and its reasons for not coming to fruition, as he spoke with Drew Barrymore (Gertie), a cast member of E.T..

For More on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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E.T.’s Production Designer Shares Insights on Capturing “The Everyday Surrounded by the Unusual”

The Making of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Exploring a Gentler First Encounter with Aliens

Steven Spielberg talks unmade sequel to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

He expressed that he didn’t feel inclined to create a follow-up, as shared by The Hollywood Reporter. For a brief moment, he entertained the idea, merely to gauge potential storylines. The only concept that surfaced in his mind was adapting a book titled “The Green Planet“, written by the author who penned the original work. This book would have delved into E.T.’s daily life at home, offering us an opportunity to explore E.T.’s residence. However, he believed that this story would have been more compelling as a novel rather than a film.

The book under discussion was “The Book of the Green Planet,” published in 1985, authored by William Kotzwinkle and beautifully illustrated by David Wiesner. Notably, Kotzwinkle is the same author who wrote the official novelization for a popular movie.

In 2023, Kotzwinkle shared that when we initially talked about “The Book of the Green Planet”, Spielberg had been considering making a sequel, but later changed his mind. One aspect he desired from the book was a character resembling a pile of floppy socks, which set a playful tone and allowed for the creation of fascinating alien characters. On the set of E.T., I observed Spielberg’s creativity at work. An art director approached him, enthusiastic about the spaceship design, suggesting it should look like a teardrop of mercury. Without hesitation, Spielberg proposed an alternative vision – a Victorian Christmas tree ornament. This idea seemed to have sprung from nowhere but fit perfectly, and I described it similarly in the book.

As an ardent admirer, I’ve been left guessing if the director hinted at E.T.’s home world being part of the pitch for “Nocturnal Fears” or a standalone concept. Regardless, it seems a sequel never materialized, yet Universal Orlando’s “E.T. Adventure” ride offered fans an exciting journey to the alien’s origins instead.

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2025-01-28 23:01