E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Phones Home In New Visual History [Exclusive]

It’s time to delve deeper into the world of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved film, Insight Editions is releasing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History. The book will take an in-depth look at what inspired the film, the challenges in shooting it, and its surprising run at the box office.

E.T. comes from the mind of Director Steven Spielberg, who conceived of the film from his own childhood imaginary friend. It tells the story of Elliott (Henry Thomas), a young boy who stumbles upon an alien stranded on Earth. Together Elliott, his sister (played by Drew Barrymore), and friends must keep E.T. safe from local authorities and return him to his own people.

In this exclusive reveal, Screen Rant gives you a look at several excerpts from the book, including behind-the-scenes of the audition process and filming of the famous flying bike scene, as well as a look into the box office success of the film.

A Look Inside E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History

The cover features a high-resolution look at E.T. himself, as well as a montage of various highlights of the film, including Elliott and E.T. on the bike, and the ship that eventually took E.T. home.

This exclusive look at a spread from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual Dictionary gives insight into the casting process, with details about the casting director (Mike Fenton) and the joy of finding a child to play Gertie, Elliott’s sister. The role eventually went to a young Drew Barrymore, in her first role, after she impressed not only Fenton but Spielberg himself with her precocious nature.

Here, we’re taken behind the scenes at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and the process of filming the most famous scene from the movie, and one of the most iconic scenes in film history, the Bike flying scene where the kids help E.T. evade the authorities in his attempt to return home. New photos show the scope of the models made for the set, complete with the miniature town and the children on their bikes, hovering over the homes below.

Finally, we take a look at the reception to the film, which was overwhelmingly positive both from critics and audiences. In its first week in the U.S. market, it recouped its entire $10 million budget and would go on to beat Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope to take the box office crown of the highest-grossing film of all time. It would hold that record until Spielberg eventually beat himself with Jurassic Park 11 years later.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ultimate Visual Dictionary promises to give readers a new and exciting look behind the scenes of a film that 40 years on still holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the audience. Look for your copy on newsstands August 30, or pre-order it now on Amazon.