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

There was a time when a sequel to the beloved film E.T. was nearly a reality, but luckily, Steven Spielberg did everything in his power to ensure it didn’t happen.

We all know how rare it is for sequels to match, let alone surpass, the original films. Occasionally, a sequel manages to rise to the occasion, but more often than not, it’s best to leave well enough alone to avoid disappointment. It’s hard to imagine a follow-up to E.T. working out, but there was a moment when those in charge considered it. Speaking at the TCM Classic Film Festival: New York Pop-Up x 92NY event, Spielberg shared his thoughts on the matter, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. He said, “That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn’t have any rights.”

“Before E.T., I did have some rights, but not enough to prevent a sequel. I didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’ which gives you the power to block the studio from making sequels, remakes, or using the intellectual property in other ways. I gained those rights only after E.T.’s massive success,” Spielberg elaborated. He was clear about one thing: he “just did not want to make a sequel.”

There was a brief moment when Spielberg toyed with the idea, just to explore if there was a story worth telling. The only concept that intrigued him was inspired by a book titled ‘The Green Planet,’ which would have delved into E.T.’s world. Spielberg thought it might work better as a book and felt it wouldn’t translate as well into a movie.

Imagine the cinematic landscape had we ended up with an E.T. sequel—it’s probably a good thing Spielberg’s vision prevailed. After all, the film did exceptionally well, being the highest-grossing movie of its time.