Steven Spielberg Working On The Sequel Of Henry Thomas-Drew Barrymore Starrer 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial'? Here's What We Know

A sequel of Steven Spielberg's cult classic film, 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' is not under works. Here's what we know.

Updated on: 10 April 2024 5:51 pm

A still from 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' Photo: Instagram

The internet has been buzzing with rumours of the sequel to the 1980s cult classic film - ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.’ Several reports mention that Steven Spielberg will create a sequel to this film titled, ‘'The Return to Earth.’ Despite reports from different media sources, there is no actual sequel in development. This false information has generated enough excitement among fans, but unfortunately, it's all untrue.

As reported by Dexerto, a Facebook page has been circulating a poster for a supposed sequel titled 'The Return to Earth' for the iconic '80s film ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.’ However, this is merely a hoax because the page has a history of creating and spreading false rumors about reboots and remakes of popular films like ‘The Golden Girls’ and ‘Cars’. The fake poster shows a reunion of Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore.

While director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison did briefly consider a sequel for the film. They had named it ‘E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears’. After the success of the first film, these plans were let go. In a 2022 interview, Thomas who played the role of Elliott in the original movie, said that a sequel would not be appropriate.

The only official follow-up to ‘E.T.’ is a four-minute commercial that was released in 2019. Titled ‘E.T. A Holiday Reunion’, the commercial reunites an adult Elliott with his extraterrestrial friend for a holiday celebration. This short film was created for nostalgia. As of now, there is no confirmed release date for any sequel to ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.’ The makers of the original film have their reservations about producing a sequel. They fear that it could potentially diminish the legacy of this cult classic.