When it comes to the best movies of the 1980s, there are few films more beloved than Brimming with adventure, heart, and one of cinema’s greatest friendships, the movie remains among the most special of director . Additionally, the picture was a massive box office and merchandising success, so it only seemed natural that Universal would pursue a sequel. Of course,. While most studio directors would love to have a franchise spun off of one of their films, Spielberg fought to keep it from happening, and, with the gift of retrospect, we couldn’t be happier that everyone’s favorite extraterrestrial never returned to the big screen.
These days, if a film hits at the box office, it’s almost inevitable that there will be some sort of sequel or follow-up, whether the story calls for it or not. But back in the 1980s, turning a hit property into a sequel was not always a guarantee. For Steven Spielberg, though, he did consider revisiting E.T., albeit briefly. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a recent conversation with saw Spielberg reflect on the idea. “,” Spielberg explained. “We were all going to be able to go to E.T.’s home and see how E.T. lived. But it was better as a novel than I think it would have been as a film.”
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However, Spielberg’s ultimate rejection of the idea wasn’t the end of the potential follow-up. At the time, Spielberg’s rejection alone wasn’t enough to call off any sort of sequel. “,” the director stated. “Before E.T., I had some rights, but I didn’t have a lot of rights. I kind of didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’ where you can stop the studio from making a sequel because you control the freeze on sequels, remakes and other ancillary uses of the IP. I didn’t have that. I got it after E.T. because of its success.” Interestingly, Spielberg is rumored to use his rights to stop further E.T. desecration. Universal’s Orlando theme parks have long celebrated Spielberg’s work, with being one of the resort's longest-running attractions. However, per Theme Park Tourist, there is a rumor that Spielberg has threatened to end his relationship with Universal, should they close the attraction, though these rumors remain unconfirmed. Still, when one considers the lineage of such efforts, or the proposed work itself, it’s safe to say Spielberg’s rejection of the idea was the right move.
In the decades since E.T., Spielberg has overseen some of the greatest franchises in film history. However, follow-ups without the director’s involvement have often yielded poor results. One needn’t look any further than the series for an example. What started with a film that is still nothing short of remarkable ended with a picture that is often considered one of the worst movies ever made. . Additionally, after reading the nine-page treatment for the film, it’s easy to see why Spielberg ended up turning against it. Ultimately, the first film is perfect in its stand-alone form. Its deep themes are only made more prominent with the knowledge that our lead characters will never see each other again. Trying to follow that up in such a brazen way would have not only cheapened the ending, it would have ruined the film’s legacy. While it’s hard to step away from a beloved character or fantastic story, it was truly the right move to let E.T. be the masterpiece it is.
