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

At one point in time, there was almost an E.T. sequel in the works, but thankfully, director Steven Spielberg fought tooth and nail to prevent it from happening.

Sequels often struggle to justify their existence. Yes, every so often a follow-up to a movie surpasses the original, but those instances are few and far between. More often than not, it’s best to leave a film as a standalone masterpiece, sparing us the potential disappointment. E.T. is clearly one of those films that stands powerfully on its own. However, at one point, there was significant interest in creating a sequel. During the TCM Classic Film Festival at the New York Pop-Up x 92NY event, Spielberg shared how he had to work hard to stop a sequel, noting, “That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn’t have any rights” (reported by The Hollywood Reporter).

“Back then, before E.T., I had some rights, but not a whole lot. I didn’t have what we in the industry refer to as ‘the freeze.’ This freeze is where you can prevent the studio from moving forward with sequels, remakes, or other uses of the intellectual property because you control those rights. That wasn’t the case for me until after E.T. was a success,” Spielberg explained. He simply had no desire to make a sequel.

For a moment, Spielberg entertained the notion, pondering whether he could craft another story. The only concept that sparked a flicker of interest was an idea based on a book called ‘The Green Planet.’ This story would have explored E.T.’s home, giving audiences a glimpse into his world. However, Spielberg concluded that it was better suited as a novel rather than a film.

Imagine the cinematic landscape today if we had been subjected to an E.T. sequel! It could have altered Spielberg’s legacy and perhaps even painted a less vibrant picture of his remarkable career. Given that E.T. was the highest-grossing film of all time at one point, Spielberg surely had the last laugh, both creatively and financially.