The ’80s was an amazing era for new movies. Audiences were hungry for entertainment to minimize moments of boredom and stagnancy. Several actors who are considered iconic today were starting to gain their footing during that memorable era. Movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Stand By Me,” and “The Shining,” were making waves and starting conversations. Did any of those movies impress viewers as much as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” did, though? That’s debatable.
As a sci-fi movie, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was filmed in a way that was meant to be family-friendly with a flat PG rating. It hit theaters on June 11, 1982, with Universal Pictures as the production company in charge. The cast lineup included Henry Thomas as Elliot, Drew Barrymore as Gertie, and Robert MacNaughton as Michael. At a time when the world was more curious than ever about aliens, the movie came out to enchant and intrigue audiences. People were captivated by the notion of connecting with life forces beyond planet Earth.
Interestingly enough, people are still just as curious about aliens and extra-terrestrial beings today. For the most part, discussions about aliens are no longer considered weird or wonky. This topic is becoming more normalized with the American government hinting at human connections with extra-terrestrial beings every year. There’s a massive chance that “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” would be equally as popular and adored if it was released in theaters today instead of in the early 80s. With a score of 7.9 out of 10 stars on IMDb, this was a movie stole the hearts of millions. Click here to read up on the bus but forgotten movies of the 80s.
To gather this list of 25 facts you might not already know about “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment sources. These include IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Screenrant, Movie Web, and Collider.
Steven Spielberg added loads of “Star Wars” Easter eggs
The Star Wars franchise is beloved by millions of fans who are obsessed with the action-packed storylines. Steven Spielberg made sure to load up “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” with Easter eggs honoring “Star Wars.” He did so as a way of shouting out his industry friend, George Lucas. As a reminder, Lucas is the brilliant mind behind the iconic Star Wars franchise. Every Star Wars movies includes alien-like beings like Ewoks, Rodians, and Clawdites, so the inclusion of relevant Easter eggs made sense.
Harrison Ford was supposed to star in the movie
These days, most people know and love Harrison Ford from his time starring in movies like the Indiana Jones franchise, “Blade Runner,” “The Fugitive,” and other big name projects. Ford has an impressive and undeniable career under his belt with a Critics’ Choice Award, People’s Choice Award, and Golden Globe award to prove it.
Interestingly enough, he was originally meant to star in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” as well. He filmed a cameo as the school principal, but the scene was cut out before the movie made it to theaters. The scene was chopped because Steven Spielberg didn’t want Ford’s presence to be too much of a distraction.
The movie was originally meant to be a horror film
As shocking as this might sound, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was originally meant to be a horror film rather than a kid-friendly movie. It was going to tell the story of a farm community getting attacked by a group of violent and vicious alien invaders. If the movie had gone that route, it wouldn’t still be revered as such a beloved movie for all ages.
Undoubtedly, there are horror movie fans who would’ve appreciated the intensity and gore of a spooky storyline. Still, most people who’ve seen “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” can agree that it was done the right way.
Real doctors were hired to film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
injecting injection vaccine vaccination medicine flu man doctor insulin health drug influenza concept - stock image
injecting injection vaccine vaccination medicine flu man doctor insulin health drug influenza concept – stock image
If you thought the doctors cast in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” were super believable when watching a movie for the first time, there’s a reason for that. Steven Spielberg chose to cast real-life doctors to play those roles. He wanted the scientists and medical teams on camera to look as believable and realistic as possible. Spielberg certainly succeeded with that goal by going the extra mile.
Drew Barrymore landed her role while auditioning for “Poltergeist”
Drew Barrymore had no idea she was about to land a role in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” because she was busy auditioning for something else entirely. Barrymore showed up to fight for a part in the 1982 horror classic “Poltergeist.” the ghost-themed movie told the story of a menacing floater who could attack humans from a TV screen.
Steven Spielberg knew Barrymore would be better off filming “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” instead. As a reminder, she was only seven years old at the time.
Henry Thomas landed the lead role without much effort
LOS ANGELES - JUN 28: Henry Thomas at the 43rd Annual Saturn Awards - Press Room at the The Castawa on June 28, 2017 in Burbank, CA
When Henry Thomas was only nine years old, he did an incredible job auditioning for “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” During his audition in front of Steven Spielberg, he went off the rails with some improvisation that was super heartfelt and believable. His talent was impossible to deny, and Spielberg offered him the part on the spot. His willingness to go off script to blow everyone away was enough to secure the role.
Millions of dollars were spent to design E.T.
Out of a $10.5 million production budget for “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” 10% of that money went to the basic design of E.T. If you calculate what $10.5 million translates to today, it comes out to about $30 million. The producers knew they wanted E.T. to look believable and realistic as the movie’s leading alien. That meant they were willing to pull out all the stops by spending top dollar.
An actor without legs helped to give E.T. his leg movement
An 11-year-old actor named Matthew De Meritt was hired to give E.T. his signature walk. Since E.T. has a unique-looking waddle whenever he moves from one place to another, the “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” producers knew they needed to cast someone who could create that visual result. De Meritt was born without legs, so he walked on his hands inside the alien costume to make it happen.
There’s a version of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” without guns
In the original version of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” viewers see a scene where Elliot and E.T. get chased down by law enforcement officials. During the scene, viewers also see a cop toting a rifle. Steven Spielberg decided to release another version of the movie without guns, though. In the gun-free version, the cop is spotted holding a walkie-talkie instead. The walkie-talkie looks much less menacing than the gun.
Music from John Williams made the movie similar to an opera
While watching “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” there’s a chance viewers will be reminded of opera performances. That’s because the musical score created by John Williams was designed to provide that exact feeling and ambiance. Williams’ musical style was purposely selected to evoke a greater sense of emotion. It was put in place to help people react the same way they would while taking in opera performances.
Ralph Macchio almost landed a role in the movie
These days, people recognize Ralph Macchio for his role in “Cobra Kai.” Prior to that, he was the star of the epic Karate Kid franchise. It turns out that “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” could’ve looked a little different if he had been cast as one of Elliot’s older brother’s friends in the beloved 80s film. Macchio revealed the truth about it during an interview on “The Drew Barrymore Show” years later.
Steven Spielberg considered releasing a sequel
For a brief moment in time, Steven Spielberg considered releasing a sequel to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” It’s probably a good thing he decided against it because the storyline would have left a bad taste in viewers’ mouth. The sequel would’ve been far scarier and more horrific than the original. Since it wouldn’t have shared enough of a similar vibe with the first film, it could have negatively impacted everyone’s adoration of the first movie.
A chain smoker was used for E.T.’s voice
Cigarette packet
Creating E.T.’s voice wasn’t the simplest feat to accomplish for the sound production team in charge of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” In order to make the alien’s voice sound believable, they enlisted help from a chain-smoking voice actress named Pat Welsh. Years of smoking caused her voice to deepen with raspiness. The sound production team also used sounds from horses, raccoons, and sea otters.
Steven Spielberg was accused of plagiarism
One of the worst insults a creative person can be accused of? Committing plagiarism. That’s exactly what Steven Spielberg went through regarding “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” upon its release. A sci-fi author from India named Satyajit Ray complained about the movie being much too similar to a script he wrote back in the 1960s. Spielberg vehemently denied those allegations and the story died off.
The movie-inspired video game was a failure
Despite the fact that “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was hugely successful hit in theaters, it didn’t do well when it was developed into a video game. Video gamers with the Atari 2600 system were excited to play a brand0new game in honor of the movie, but the game was way too confusing to enjoy. To make matters worse, it was released with pixelated graphics that didn’t impress anyone.
Carlo Rambaldi used special effects to create E.T. and King Kong
The special effects designer who creatively built the physical body of E.T. for the movie didn’t stop there as an artist. He also created the body of King Kong in 1976. Carlo Rambaldi used his talent to create figures that looked realistic enough to be believable by viewers who were watching different sci-fi movies during an era before advanced CGI existed. He was given instructions to make E.T. look like a friendly alien – and that’s something he succeeded with.
Drew Barrymore adlibbed a famous line in the movie
American actress Drew Barrymore, wearing a beige Harrington jacket, attends the Westwood premiere of 'Sleeping with the Enemy', held at the Mann Village Theatre in the Westwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, 4th February 1991. Photographers are visible behind the security barrier in the background. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
When filming movies, there are certain moments that don’t always perfectly match up with the original strips. That’s exactly what happened with one of Drew Barrymore’s most iconic and memorable lines in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” Steven Spielberg thought it was precious when she said, “I don’t like his feet!” about the alien’s paws. He decided to keep the line in the movie without editing it out.
Corey Feldman was originally supposed to be in the movie
Another famous actor who was supposed to star in “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” was Corey Feldman. As soon as everyone started filming the movie, Steven Spielberg realized he didn’t love seeing Feldman playing Elliot’s best friend on camera. Spielberg promptly realized the character of Elliot didn’t need a best friend at all, and the part was completely eliminated. Spielberg felt slightly guilty about it, so he chose to hire Feldman for a 1984 film called “Gremlins” as a consolation.
Reese’s Pieces sales skyrocketed after the movie
In one of the scenes from “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” Elliot encourages E.T. to follow him home with the help of some sweet treats. The sweet treats in question happen to be Reese’s Pieces. Thanks to the adorable scene from the movie, sales for Reese’s Pieces skyrocketed for weeks after the movie hit theaters.
The E.T. Adventure ride is still available in Florida
Back in 1990, Universal Studios Florida (located in Orlando) collaborated with Steven Spielberg to launch a fun ride for fans of the movie. Despite the fact that the ride was built so many decades ago, it’s still accessible to this day. The ride is set up with bicycle seats that have drop-down handles as lap bars. The bikes are transported into a visually eccentric area with flashing lights that represent a portal to the Green Planet.
Henry Thomas struggled with fame after the movie premiered
Child actors aren’t always aware of the implications that come along with fame, fortune, and notoriety. Henry Thomas became an overnight sensation after starring as Elliot in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” As an adult, he opened up about the struggles of being unable to leave his house after the movie hit theaters. It was impossible for him to experience a normal day without being overrun by fans when he was only 11 years old.
Drew Barrymore kept a souvenir from the set
It’s fairly common for actors and actresses to keep different momentos from movie sets after they finish filming a project. That’s exactly what a young Drew Barrymore did after filming “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” She chose to keep the red cowgirl hat that her character wore in the movie. Henry Thomas also chose to keep his iconic red sweater.
The movie was almost called “A Boy’s Life”
Movie titles are significant when it comes to how successful a project is going to be. If audiences don’t like a movie’s title, there’s a chance they won’t give the film a chance at all. Originally, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was set to be titled “A Boy’s Life.” It’s a good thing the movie’s name was changed to honor what the actual plot was about.
Henry Thomas earned minimum wage for filming the movie
One of the most shocking and uncomfortable truth about “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is that the child actors weren’t paid fairly for their contributions to the movie. Henry Thomas revealed that he earned minimum wage for his role as Elliot. Filming scenes that required line memorization and collaboration with a full crew should have certainly equated to a higher salary.
Steven Spielberg was inspired by famous people when designing the alien face
circa 1955: Mathematical physicist Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) delivers one of his recorded lectures. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
The alien’s face in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” came from some brainstorming on Steven Spielberg’s part. He wanted the eyes of the movies alien to resemble people like Ernest Hemingway, Carl Sandburg, and Albert Einstein. It’s pretty obvious that Spielberg is one of the most talented and noteworthy movie directors of all time. Click here to uncover directors who tend to make the most polarizing movies.