Will ET 2 ever happen? Elliot Actor Henry Thomas answers
Henry Thomas explains why a successor to ET the extraterrestrial will probably never happen. Steven Spielberg’s classic ONE sees the then 9-year-old Thomas star in only his second film as Elliot, a boy who forms a strong bond with an alien stranded on Earth. ONE surpassed George Lucas’ original Star wars and became the most lucrative film ever in 1982 (before being taken over by Spielberg’s own Jurassic Park in 1993).
Almost 40 years later ONEs tearful farewell, Thanksgiving 2019 saw the aliens leave home again. The character returned in a “Home for the Holidays” commercial from Comcast Xfinity. The 4-minute ad depicts a technologically advanced gift (which benefits from the first encounter) in which a now-grown Elliot has a family but still has an affinity for his foreign friend and a good bike ride. When the ad was sent, many thought it was a teaser for one ONE successor. Even if it was not, some are still wondering if that concept could ever be explored.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.comwas the now 50-year-old Thomas asked about successful sequels to films from before, such as. Top Gun: Maverick, and what they can mean ONE According to Thomas, it is unlikely that Spielberg himself will ever visit again ONE, where Comcast Xfinity’s ad is the closest audience to see a reunion between ET and Elliot. Read the full quote below:
“Ideas had been kicked around over the years. There were some serious conversations early on because the studio really pushed for it, to follow up on the success of the 1982 season … That’s why the commercial, I think, is that Spielberg okay the commercial.because it’s as close to a sequel as he’s willing to go that he’s willing to allow.The response to that Xfinity spot was so overwhelming and people thought it was a teaser for a sequel “which created a huge, huge mess on the Internet. I do not know if it came past the Internet.”
Since ONEs release, many details have been revealed about its potential follow-up. E.g, ONE‘s original ending set up a sequel, with a final one scene panning up to a working communicator – which would have indicated that Elliot and ET are still in touch. However, the scene was eventually cut because saying goodbye to Elliott and ET proved to be a much more powerful way to end the film. Spielberg and Melissa Mathison wrote a treatment for one ONE successor, with the title ET II: Nocturnal fear, who follows Elliott and his friends as they are abducted by aliens and rescued by ET. In the end, Spielberg abandoned this idea because he felt it would betray the purity of the original. But the author of ONE‘s novelization, William Kotzwinkle, wrote a sequel, ET: The book about the green planetput on the titular character’s home planet Brodo Asogi.
Thomas’ co-star Drew Barrymore has also said that a big screen ONE follow-up will never happen. While a successor or restart is unlikely to see the night sky without Spielberg’s approval, the film’s spirit lives on in nostalgia-driven projects such as Stranger Things, which has revitalized interest in 80s pop culture. Given the amount of pressure that would come with making one ONE sequel, and the chance to stain the original’s legacy, it’s perhaps best if the titular alien stays home this time.
Source: ComicBook.com
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