Latest news with #TCMClassicFilmFestival:NewYorkPop-Upx92NY
Iraqi News
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Iraqi News
Steven Spielberg Recalls Fighting to Stop E.T. Sequels (And We're Glad He Won)
INA- sources Some of Steven Spielberg's biggest box office hits spawned major Hollywood franchises, but the legendary director went out of his way to ensure there would never be a sequel to E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial. While attending the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event (via The Hollywood Reporter), Spielberg recalled the 'hard-fought' battles to stop the development of any E.T. follow-ups, touching on the rights issues that played a role. 'That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn't have any rights,' the director said. '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.' Elaborating, Spielberg admitted that for a time, he 'flirted with' the possibility of an E.T. sequel and tried developing a suitable concept. This led to the publishing of the novel E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, which Spielberg ultimately felt worked better as a book than a movie. E.T. star Drew Barrymore, who was at the TCM event alongside Spielberg, agreed with the decision to not make an E.T. 2. 'They're just going to compare it to the first and leave something that's perfect alone in isolation open to scrutiny,' she said. Released in 1982, E.T. further cemented Spielberg's standing as one of the premier filmmakers of his era. In its original theatrical run, E.T. earned $359.2 million at the domestic box office, passing Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time. It also earned widespread acclaim; E.T. was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won four Academy Awards: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Original Score. The closest fans have gotten to an E.T. sequel is a 2019 Xfinity commercial featuring an adult Henry Thomas reprising his role of Elliott. The spot sees E.T. return to Earth decades later to spend the holiday season with Elliott and his family. Years after that ad premiered, Thomas told he believes the commercial was 'as close to a sequel as [Spielberg is] willing to go,' further confirming that an official cinematic follow-up is not in the works. Given Spielberg's very personal connection to E.T.'s story (it's partially inspired by his experiences as a child of divorce), it's understandable why he went to such great lengths to keep it a standalone work. Any sequel would run the risk of undercutting what made the original so special and beloved. Despite not having the full rights to the property, Spielberg still had the necessary clout to convince Universal to play ball. With other hits like Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark under his belt, the director was able to persuade the studio, which likely wanted to keep its relationship with Spielberg intact. In the years after E.T., Spielberg made iconic films such as Jurassic Park and Schindler's List for Universal — collaborations that might not have happened if Universal went against Spielberg's wishes on E.T. Legacy sequels are all the rage in Hollywood, as studios look to capitalize on popular IP by reintroducing classic franchises to new audiences. And while this has proven to be a lucrative strategy many times over, not every touchstone of 1980s pop culture needs a sequel. E.T. fits the bill of a movie that is perfect as a one-off, crafting an emotional tale of a lonely boy finding genuine companionship from an unlikely place. It's borderline impossible to see how a sequel could deliver another worthwhile chapter in Elliott's story, and it's better Spielberg opted against it instead of making one that didn't live up to expectations. The nostalgia trip of the Xfinity commercial was entertaining enough.
Fox News
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Steven Spielberg put the kibosh on ‘E.T.' sequel back when he 'didn't have any rights'
Steven Spielberg knew lightning wouldn't strike twice in his extra-terrestrial. "I just did not want to make a sequel," the critically acclaimed filmmaker said in conversation with one of the films' stars, Drew Barrymore, at the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event on Saturday, per The Hollywood Reporter. "I flirted with it for a little bit — just a little bit to see if I [could] think of a story — and the only thing I could think about was a book that was written by somebody that wrote the book for it called 'The Green Planet,' which was all going to take place at E.T.'s home," he said, referencing William Kotzwinkle's 1985 publication, which continued E.T.'s story from the 1982 blockbuster. "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." Spielberg, who made the Academy Award-winning film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," early in his career, said when sequel discussions began, he didn't have a lot of pull within the industry. "That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn't have any rights. Before 'E.T.,' I had some rights, but I didn't have a lot of rights," he explained. "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." Barrymore, who shot the film when she was ages 6 and 7, told Spielberg that she remembered him being against a follow-up film from the get-go. "I remember you saying, 'We are not making a sequel to 'E.T.'' I think I was eight. I remember being like, 'OK, that's a bummer, but I totally get it,'" Barrymore recalled. "I thought it was a smart choice. I very much understand it. Where do we go from here? They're just going to compare it to the first and leave something that's perfect alone in isolation open to scrutiny. It made so much sense." "I have no intention ever of seeing E.T. anywhere outside this proscenium," Spielberg said from inside 92Y's Kaufman Concert Hall. Although the movie was once the highest grossing film of all time, in the more than four decades since the movie has premiered, Spielberg has spoken at length about one of his regrets with the feature. "When E.T. was re-released [in 2002], I actually digitized 5 shots where 'E.T.' went from being a puppet to a digital puppet and I also replaced the gun when the F.B.I. runs up on the van, now they're walkie-talkies. So, there's a really bad version of 'E.T.' where I took my cue from 'Star Wars' and all of the digital enhancements of 'A New Hope' that George [Lucas] put in, and I went ahead, because the marketing at Universal thought we need[ed] something to get an audience back, and see the movie so I did a few touch up[s] in the film," he told Screen Rant years ago. "Social media wasn't as profound as it is today but what was just beginning, you know, erupted a loud, negative voice about, 'how could you ruin our favorite childhood film by taking the guns away and putting walkie-talkies in their hands among other things.' So, I learned a big lesson and that's the last time I decided to ever mess with the past. What's done is done, and um, I'll never go back and do another movie I've made and I have control over to enhance or changes."
