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One of the driving forces behind today's cinema industry is fandom. Whether studios admit it or not, fan-service is a real thing, and with the use of the multiverse, we've seen audiences go wild with fan theories connecting iconic films. Shared universes have been around since the dawn of cinema, and in the , two of the most iconic movies of the decade took place in the same universe. There was no need for a multiverse, unnecessary sequels, or Easter eggs. Fans just had to look elsewhere: the vast world of film novelizations.

These two movies are and , both produced under the wing of Steven Spielberg (Poltergeist is one of the few movies that Spielberg has written throughout his career). As different as they are, they both capture the "Amblin" spirit quite well, making Spielberg's touch identifiable in every aspect. And as it turns out, they're both connected by their stories. It all started with a doctor who landed a role in a Hollywood film and met Spielberg himself on the set of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

is one of the real doctors hired to treat E.T. in the film's final act. He was also an amateur writer, and he was able to give Spielberg a copy of his book. The director liked it enough to hire Kahn for his first Hollywood project: novelizing a film he wrote and produced. Although it was a complex story about otherworldly entities haunting an American family, Kahn had no trouble writing it up. Spielberg was pleased with his work, and Kahn would secure the gig of writing novelizations for major films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Return of the Jedi, and The Goonies.

Kahn's novelization of 1982's Poltergeist is interesting. He made no significant changes to the story. Instead, he provides more details about the evil spirits, the medium Tangina Barrons, and the other dimensions that can be accessed from the closet of Carol Anne and Robbie Freeling. The Freelings are still the victims of a horrific decision made by real estate businessmen who decided to build the Cuesta Verde homes above a cemetery. Remember, before construction began, they moved the headstones, but the bodies remained, and the damned souls were not happy about it.

Three years later, Kahn wrote a novelization of The Goonies that was riskier than others. The writer took some liberties, telling the story from Mikey's perspective, adding several scenes not in the film, and exploring some edgier coming-of-age tropes. .

The movies are linked through an anecdote shared by Mikey in the book. In Chapter 1, the following lines are included: "I remember I broke my arm once when I fell into the excavation at that new housing development, Cuesta Verde Estates, and the doctor had to break it back in the other direction to set it. He said that was the only way to make it straight." . The novelization does not address this incident further, and it seems to be just a nod to Kahn's first work as a Hollywood writer.

Before home video offered movie buffs the opportunity to revisit their favorite characters, film novelizations were the next best thing. They weren't always great works of art, but they were the next big thing in offering viewers a broader view of what they had previously experienced on the big screen. Film novelizations were not as popular as bestsellers, but they worked for marketing purposes, even after the films were released on home video. Today, they're not as popular as they once were, and fans depend on alternate (and unofficial) expansions like "fanfic" work. Of course, it's not quite the same thing.

Imagine if you could know more about your favorite character in your favorite movie. Imagine if a book offered something that wasn't obvious at first but actually enhanced your experience. It's what happens with novels like Kahn's, but also with other great novelizations, like with The Abyss (by famed sci-fi author Orson Scott Card), Halloween (which provides a great backdrop for Michael Myers' "inspiration") and even Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse (written by horror author Dean Koontz), which is a great standalone horror book.

Be on the lookout for these novelizations. Who knows, you may find yourself making a huge discovery, learning that your favorite films are part of one cinematic universe. The Goonies ​​​​​​novelization on Amazon and Goodreads. Stream The Goonies on Max. Buy or rent Poltergeist on Apple TV+ and Prime Video.