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

A follow-up to E.T. nearly saw the light of day, but thankfully, Steven Spielberg, the mastermind behind the beloved film, staunchly opposed it. His efforts ensured that E.T. remained a standalone classic.

Let’s be real: it’s not often that sequels manage to justify their existence. Occasionally, a sequel might match, or even exceed, the original, but those instances are few and far between. More often than not, it’s wiser to let a film stand on its own rather than put its legacy at risk. E.T. falls in that category—hard to imagine a sequel doing it justice. Yet, there was a time when that very idea was on the table. Spielberg recounted his battle against an E.T. sequel during the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. He described it as “a real hard-fought victory” since, back then, he didn’t hold exclusive rights over the film.

In the pre-E.T. days, Spielberg had some rights, but not comprehensive control. He lacked what he referred to as ‘the freeze,’ a power that enables someone to prevent a studio from producing sequels or remakes. Due to E.T.’s astonishing success, he eventually secured those rights. Yet even with all the pressures, Spielberg simply did not want a follow-up film.

He admitted to briefly toying with the idea, contemplating if he could craft a compelling storyline. The only concept that resonated was inspired by a book called ‘The Green Planet,’ which envisioned life on E.T.’s home turf. Spielberg felt that this idea was more fitting as a novel than a movie.

Imagine the cinematic landscape if an E.T. sequel had happened—it might not have been pretty. Thankfully, Spielberg’s passion for preserving the film paid off, and given E.T.’s record-breaking box office success, it’s safe to say that decision didn’t hurt its legacy one bit.