Henry Thomas E.T. Interview: 40 Years of Steven Spielberg’s Classic

There’s a distinction between speaking to a legend a couple of new challenge and speaking to them in regards to the challenge that made them a legend. Actor Henry Thomas has been round endlessly. In latest years, in truth, he’s develop into a staple of the horror style working with Netflix on exhibits like The Haunting of Hill House and The Midnight Club. And if we have been to speak to him about these exhibits, certain, you might sneak in a query in regards to the film that made him a star: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, however it couldn’t be the main focus of the entire interview.

So once I received an e mail asking to speak to Thomas about E.T. on the event of the movie’s fortieth anniversary, and in help of a brand new Blu-ray, I jumped on the probability. E.T. shouldn’t be solely among the best, most revered sci-fi movies of all-time, it could be among the best films of a era, interval. The prospects for dialog are limitless… however you then understand you solely have seven minutes.

What follows is my dialog with Thomas about E.T. by which I attempted to discover my curiosities in regards to the legacy of the movie and, simply because it’s custom, ask him about one other challenge from the time that I maintain close to and expensive to my coronary heart.

Germain Lussier, io9: Obviously, E.T. was an enormous hit proper out of the field. But I used to be questioning, was there a degree the place you realized there was one thing larger occurring than only a hit film?

Henry Thomas: Well, after it was in theaters for a few weeks, it had been primary on the field workplace for some time. And it grew to become a sensation. They have been reporting in regards to the [theater] traces across the [block] on the information and native information and across the nation. And then it grew to become a worldwide hit. So it was fairly obvious early on that it was going to be round for some time, however I didn’t ever suppose 40 years later I’d be speaking about this movie.

io9: Yeah. It’s really humorous you talked about the early field workplace. One of my favourite bits of trivia about E.T. is that two weeks after it opened, two different sci-fi films opened on the identical day, after which bombed partly due to E.T. Those films have been Blade Runner and The Thing, which have since gone on to develop into classics. Were you conscious of these movies being launched on the time and what do you consider that form of bizarre Hollywood intersection?

Thomas: I used to be very conscious of Blade Runner as a result of Harrison Ford, after all, was on the set of E.T. for for fairly a bit, as a result of he was [writer] Melissa Mathison’s accomplice. But yeah, I solely actually discovered about The Thing lately. I feel the studio [Universal, which released E.T. and The Thing] was attempting to hedge its bets a bit of bit as a result of the concept of a benevolent alien film wasn’t actually jiving with the spirit of the instances. Because the entire large profitable sci-fi issues, they’d these malevolent aliens like Alien, however then they gave The Thing one other launch a few years later to sort of get it again on the radar. But it’s a terrific movie, The Thing.

io9: I’d say all three are fairly nice.

Thomas: Yeah.

io9: But are you able to get pleasure from E.T. like everybody else does? Can you detach your self from the movie, watch it with your loved ones and discover that connection? Or are you continue to too near it?

Thomas: No, I can by no means watch something that I’m in. I can’t separate myself.

io9: Oh okay. Now, E.T. is among the uncommon unique movies that we haven’t had a sequel of within the final 40 years. But trying again, I learn on-line that apparently there was remedy for a sequel written by Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison known as E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears that had evil aliens in it. Is that actual? Were you conscious of that or was ever pitched to you?

Thomas: No. I don’t know. [Laughs]

io9: So was there ever a degree you thought a sequel may occur?

Thomas: In the early ‘80s I think it was in the realm of possibilities. Because the film was such a success, I think there was a big push from the studio and the financial side of things to follow it up with another hit. But Steven was always reticent to touch it again, and I think it’s his basic movie. It’s a feather in his cap, and I don’t suppose he desires to mess with that in any respect.

io9: Absolutely. Though, as an alternative, we did get that prolonged industrial a number of years in the past which is so magical. Were you skeptical about that initially? I do know you’re proud of the way it turned out, however inform me a bit of bit about your sort of feelings doing that and in case you have been scared about it.

Thomas: Well, I’ve been approached fairly relentlessly through the years for industrial spots having to do with E.T., however it’s actually a query of whether or not or not Steven Spielberg approves of any of those concepts as a result of if he doesn’t then they don’t undergo. This was one which had his stamp of approval. So I believed I used to be in good palms to do it. And I feel it turned out nice. And I feel it’s as near a sequel as we’re going to get. I feel it gave audiences what they have been searching for and once they have been searching for a sequel. It additionally spawned this entire on-line fervor of, “Oh, is this just a teaser for a new sequel?” Which may need been an intention of his as nicely, to gauge the the reception of a sequel ought to he determine to do one. But. I don’t know something. I’m simply an actor.

io9: Oh, I perceive. As you possibly can see behind me [we were talking on video chat], I’m a film prop collector. Do you may have or did you retain something from the movie? Or is it represented in any respect in your house?

Thomas: No, I didn’t. I’ve some images and you understand, all the things up right here [points at head], and that’s primarily what I accumulate.

io9: Fair sufficient. Now this in all probability has be be my final query however as a lot as I like E.T. I’m additionally an enormous fan of Cloak and Dagger. I grew up with that film and they just released that awesome Blu-ray set which you have been concerned in.

Thomas: Yeah, isn’t that nice? 

io9: Oh, it’s so cool. That’s a extremely darkish movie while you rewatch it, so I used to be questioning what sort of reminiscences do you may have from engaged on that one?

Thomas: Well, that was a implausible expertise for me. And, you understand, it’s really my first and solely starring function in a studio movie was Cloak and Dagger.

io9: Oh wow.

Thomas: Yeah. So it was filmed in my hometown of San Antonio and we had a terrific forged and it was an exquisite summer time.

io9: That’s nice. Well, that’s a terrific film. And clearly E.T. is a superb film. Thank you a lot to your time and I additionally must say, I’m glad to see you on the market engaged on all that Mike Flanagan stuff. It’s actually particular.

Thomas: Oh, thanks very a lot. Yeah. Thanks for watching.

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is now accessible in a brand new fortieth anniversary launch accessible in most codecs, bodily and digital.

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