Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Steven Spielberg's classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is returning to theaters exclusively in IMAX where audiences can re-experience the magic in a way they never have before. The digitally remastered film will be re-released in IMAX on August 12 for a special one-week engagement.
In anticipation of the theatrical re-release of the classic film from the '80s, IMAX has shared a new trailer that features the iconic Academy Award-winning music from John Williams. The trailer features some of the film's signature moments such as Elliot (Henry Thomas) laying out Reeses Pieces for E.T. to follow him. The trailer continues with a montage of other iconic scenes in the film such as E.T.'s discovery by Elliot's siblings, the Halloween scene, and the iconic line, "E.T. phone home." The trailer concludes with the image of E.T. and Elliot flying in the night sky on a bicycle with their silhouettes against the moon. The iconic shot of the film has become so recognizable that it remains the logo for Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment production company.
Alongside the re-release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial this summer, IMAX will also be re-issuing Spielberg's Jaws, another iconic movie from the director's filmography. Unlike E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws will also be available for audiences to re-experience in RealD 3D and will be released on September 2.
Originally released in 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial received critical acclaim across the board and became a pop-cultural phenomenon. The film would win four Academy Awards for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Original Score. E.T. would eventually become the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing more than Star Wars, and remained at the top for over 10 years before Jurassic Park, another film by Spielberg, surpassed it in 1993.
The popularity of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial would lead to several theatrical re-releases with the first beginning in 1983, followed by one in 2002 which celebrated the film's 20th anniversary. The 2002 release received some controversy due to changes added to the film such as enhancing E.T. with CGI and replacing the federal agents' guns with walkie-talkies. However, given what has been provided by the new trailer, it appears that the new digital remaster will be from the version of the film that audiences fell in love with in 1982. After everything, E.T. still resonates with audiences 40 years later. Now with an IMAX release, the beloved classic will be available in a new format for a new generation of filmgoers.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial will be released exclusively in IMAX theaters on August 12. Check out the trailer for the upcoming release below: