Steven Spielberg Reflects on the Intense Battle to Prevent a Sequel to Sci-Fi Classic E.T.

There was nearly a sequel to E.T., but thankfully, director Steven Spielberg fought to ensure it never happened.

We all know how rare it is for a sequel to genuinely earn its place alongside the original. Sure, once in a blue moon, a follow-up might surpass its predecessor. Yet more often than not, it’s wiser to let classics stand alone and spare us the potential disappointment. E.T. is definitely one of those films that seems unimaginable with a sequel, but there was a time when such a thought was on the table. “That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn’t have any rights,” Spielberg mentioned about preventing an E.T. sequel during his talk at the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event, reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Before E.T., Spielberg mentioned he had some rights, but not a lot. He talked about not having what’s called ‘the freeze,’ which prevents a studio from making a sequel, or using the intellectual property in other ways. After the success of E.T., he gained those rights. Nonetheless, he wasn’t interested in making a sequel.

Spielberg admitted that he toyed with the idea briefly, pondering if he could conjure up a worthy story. The only concept he could muster was drawn from a book named “The Green Planet,” which envisioned a narrative unfolding at E.T.’s home. This idea, however, seemed more suited to a novel than a movie.

Can you imagine the cinematic landscape we’d have now if an E.T. sequel had been made? Let’s be grateful Spielberg stayed firm. After all, E.T. brought in an incredible amount of revenue, once holding the title of the highest-grossing film of all time.