Steven Spielberg Reveals He Considered Making an ‘E.T.’ Sequel Set in Space

Steven Spielberg revealed that he had originally thought of creating a space-set ‘E.T.’ sequel, an idea that the studio was also considering. But after giving the concept some thought, he finally concluded that a sequel wasn’t the best course for the narrative. Spielberg recently talked with Drew Barrymore at the TCM Classic Film Festival about how hard it was to avoid developing a sequel, particularly since he lacked the legal authority to stop the studio from doing so. He had no authority over the intellectual property prior to ‘E.T.’, but following the movie’s success, he was able to stop any plans for a sequel.

Spielberg stated that although he briefly considered making a sequel, he was only able to come up with a plot based on ‘The Green Planet’, a book written by William Kotzwinkle, author of ‘E.T.’ The 1985 novel, which explored E.T.’s way of life, would have been set on his home planet. Spielberg, however, believed that the book was more effective in writing than it would have been in film.

During filming, he also remembers Drew Barrymore’s remarkable improvisational abilities. When Barrymore was younger, he made an impromptu remark about E.T.’s feet, and Spielberg chose to use it in the movie. Reflecting on her experience, Barrymore was somewhat aback by the amount of improvised dialogue that ended up in the final edit.

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Even though it came out more than 40 years ago, ‘E.T.’ is still regarded as one of Spielberg’s most famous movies, along with ‘Jaws’, ‘Jurassic Park’, and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Before ‘Jurassic Park’ overtook it in 1993, it was the highest-grossing movie ever, earning almost $800 million worldwide and winning four Oscars, including Best Visual Effects and Original Score.

Spielberg has frequently discussed the personal inspiration behind ‘E.T.’, especially the ways in which the 1966 divorce of his parents affected the movie. He talked about how the divorce affected him emotionally, which inspired him to write a novel about connection and responsibility. He imagined that Elliott, a young child, had to take care of a life form to fill an emotional gap in his life.

–Farheen Ali