The original E.T. alien model used in the 1982 film is going up on auction – find out more below.
Sotheby’s Auction House has confirmed that the original 1982 model crafted by Italian effects specialist Carlo Rambaldi is going up for auction later this month, along with a collection of his works and personal collections for other iconic films.
The original, screen-used model of E.T. used in the Steven Spielberg classic was designed and developed the year prior and stands just over three feet. It was most famously used in the beloved closet scene, where the alien attempts to disguise itself among several stuffed animals.
The E.T. model is expected to fetch between US$600,000 and a whopping $900,000 – the auction goes public on March 29 and closes on April 3. It will be part of the There Are such Things: 20th Century Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy on Screen collection – check it out here.
Also included in the collection are Rambaldi’s other designs and prosthetics, such as never-before-seen sketches for E.T., two screen-used sand worm models from David Lynch‘s Dune (which are estimated to auction for $15-20,000), a baby dinosaur animatronic from the 1993 Japanese film Rex: A Dinosaur’s Story, and other items from Blade Runner, Total Recall, Jurassic Park, Labyrinth and more.
A scene from ‘E.T.’. Credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
While E.T. came out over 40 years ago, it remains one of Spielberg’s biggest successes and most-loved films, along with movies like Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan. It won four Oscars and became the highest-grossing film of all time – a record it held until Jurassic Park overtook it in 1993 – grossing almost $800million globally.
The tear-jerker won four Oscars in 1982, including best visual effects and original score. It was a massive hit, drawing in more than $359 million at the US box office at the time, according to Box Office Mojo. Spielberg has often looked back on the movie in the years since, and in 2022 explained that his parents’ divorce helped inspire it.
His parents divorced in 1966, the year he turned 20, and he said: “A divorce creates great responsibility, especially if you have siblings; we all take care of each other. What if Elliott, or the kid – I hadn’t dreamt up his name yet – needed to, for the first time in his life, become responsible for a life form to fill the gap in his heart?”
English (US) · 