More than 35 years after the release of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” the lovable alien is returning to the screen in a special commercial that begins airing this Thanksgiving.
In the spot, E.T. travels to Earth to reunite with a grown-up Elliott and his new family. Henry Thomas, the actor who originally played Elliott in the 1982 film, is now a married 40-something father of two.
“You came back. My son, my family,” Thomas says to E.T. as he introduces his friend to his family and welcomes him into their home. “A lot has changed since you were here.”
The cute commercial is an ad for Xfinity and Sky alongside Comcast/NBCUniversal, and it shows E.T. now tinkering with an Xfinity powered tablet, wearing a VR headset and the whole family sitting down to watch a movie on their smart TV.
It’s very much done in the spirit of Spielberg’s original film, with E.T. eating a cupcake topped with Reese’s Pieces and then flying Elliott’s kids on bicycles over the silhouette of the moon. Apparently Spielberg himself even signed off on the ad, which inspired Thomas to get involved.
“The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts. It’s really a win-win,” the actor said in a statement. “Looking at the storyboards, I could see exactly why Steven was really behind it, because the integrity of the story isn’t lost in this retelling.”
“More than anything, the whole story is about family,” the commercial’s director Lance Acord said in a statement. Acord is best known as the cinematographer on films such as “Lost in Translation,” “Marie Antoinette” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”
“Our goal is to show how Xfinity and Sky technology connects family, friends and loved ones, which is so important during the holidays. The classic friendship between E.T. and Elliott resonates around the world, and their story became a very meaningful way to bring our company’s consumer technology to life,” Peter Intermaggio, senior vice president for marketing communications of Comcast Cable, said.
“People don’t care about technology inherently. They care about the way it connects them to other people. This story is an emotional reunion between two characters we know and love. It’s a perfect story for the holidays at a time when our emotions are very close to the surface,” added Jeff Goodby, co-chairman of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P).
Watch the full, four-minute short film continuing the story of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” above.
From 'E.T.' to 'Explorers': When Kids Ruled the Big Screen (Photos)
"The Blue Lagoon" (1980) Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins play two Victorian-era kids who are left to fend for themselves after a shipwreck in the South Pacific. They eventually find romance as they grow up on the remote island.
"Time Bandits" (1981) A young boy, played by Craig Warnock, is pulled into another dimension, in this fantasy Terry Gilliam film, by a group time-traveling dwarves looking for treasure.
"E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial: (1982) Henry Thomas' naturalistic, emotional performance as Elliot got the world believing in E.T. -- and sobbing when the alien's life was in peril. It was the highest grossing movie of the year and remains one of the biggest box office hits of all time.
"Poltergeist" (1982) Little Carol Anne, played by Heather O'Rourke, sent chills down everyone's spine as the star of this early '80s ghost thriller. She reprised her role again in 1986 for Part II.
"Annie" (1982) Aileen Quinn played Little Orphan Annie in this all-star movie adaptation of the Broadway stage musical, featuring Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan and Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks.
"Savannah Smiles" (1982) Bridgette Andersen starred in this family comedy as a young girl who takes up with a couple of hapless crooks after running away from her politician dad. Soon they're one big, unconventional family.
"The Outsiders" (1983) Francis Ford Coppola's 1950s-set gang opus features mostly teen boys, but the youngest of the bunch -- C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio -- were the film's focus. Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.
"A Christmas Story" (1983) All told from the perspective of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), hilarious nostalgia for 1940s childhood ensues in what is now a holiday staple.
"The Karate Kid" (1984) Ralph Macchio played Daniel, a teen who takes up martial arts in a bid to takedown his bully and get the girl. The movie was so popular it spawned Part II in 1986 and Part III in '89.
"The NeverEnding Story" (1984) This fantasy epic that revolves around stopping the great Nothing from taking over a mystical creature-filled universe starred Barret Oliver, right, as a modern-day kid who gets pulled into an engrossing book about Atreyu's plight (played by Noah Hathaway).
"Children of the Corn" (1984) This is a rare case in the '80s where the kids are the villains -- ones who believe everyone over 18 should be killed.
"Irreconcilable Differences" (1984) Drew Barrymore starred as a little girl who sues her self-involved, separating parents (played by Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long) for emancipation. Fun fact: Sharon Stone played the other woman.
"Firestarter" (1984) Yes, Barrymore was a big deal in the early '80s, also starring as a child who could start fires with her thoughts in this action sci-fi film based on a Stephen King novel.
"Return to Oz" (1985) Fairuza Balk played Dorothy in this fright-filled film that follows up the "Wizard of Oz" tale with a villain with detachable heads and spooky, laughing Wheelers.
"The Goonies" (1985) A bunch of kids and a treasure hunt -- it's no wonder this was a hit.
"Explorers" (1985) Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson star as three boys who figure out how to do the impossible -- build a spaceship that works.
"Lucas" (1986) Corey Haim, left, starred as a lovable nerd who is determined to make friends, find love and play football -- despite his small stature. And yes, that's Charlie Sheen at top ...
More "Lucas" (1986) ... and yes, that's Winona Ryder (right).
"Stand by Me" (1986) Rob Reiner's coming of age classic starred Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Jerry O'Connell as four boys in search of a dead body in this tale based on a Stephen King novella.
"Labyrinth" (1986) Jennifer Connelly was just a girl when she played David Bowie's twisted love interest in this fantasy adventure featuring singing puppets.
"Adventures in Babysitting" (1987) This Chris Columbus comedy adventure features a babysitter (Elizabeth Shue) who has to navigate the big city while kids are in her care.
"Empire of the Sun" (1987) A young Christian Bale is at the center of this Steven Spielberg World War II epic about a English boy in survival mode while under Japanese occupation.
"The Blue Lagoon" (1980) Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins play two Victorian-era kids who are left to fend for themselves after a shipwreck in the South Pacific. They eventually find romance as they grow up on the remote island.
