Steven Spielberg Reflects on the Challenging Battle to Stop an E.T. Sequel

It’s fascinating to think that we almost lived in a world where E.T. had a sequel, but thanks to Steven Spielberg’s determination, we only had the original classic. Let’s face it, sequels rarely live up to the original, and though there are exceptions, they can often leave us wishing they’d never been made. E.T. is one of those iconic films where a sequel just seems unnecessary. However, there was a time when the film’s creators considered continuing the story. As Spielberg shared at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York, he had to work hard to prevent that from happening.

Before E.T., Spielberg mentioned that he had some influence over his projects, but not enough to completely stop a sequel from being made. “I didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’” he explained, referring to the power to halt sequels, remakes, and other related uses of intellectual property. Thankfully, the success of E.T. gave him the leverage he needed. “I just did not want to make a sequel,” Spielberg asserted.

He did toy with the idea briefly, considering a storyline based on a book called “The Green Planet,” where the audience would explore E.T.’s home world. While intriguing, Spielberg believed that it made a better novel than film.

Imagine the cinematic landscape if a sequel had been released; it might have changed the entire legacy of E.T. for the worse. Thankfully, Spielberg secured his win on this front. Plus, with its monumental commercial success at the time, there was probably no financial need to roll the dice on a sequel either.