Topline
The mechanical alien model from Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial could fetch as much as $3 million when it goes up for auction in December, according to Julien’s Auctions.
E.T. and Steven Speilberg pose for a portrait in Los Angeles, California.
Key Facts
The filming model, used as a stand-in for the film’s eponymous extraterrestrial character, is made of a lightweight aluminum alloy and features 85 fully mechanical points of movement.
The result allowed a team of 12 animators to control E.T. facial expressions and body movement in the film, which predated modern CGI technology and special effects.
The model was created by late Italian special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi, who won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 1983 for his work on the film.
Spielberg once referred to Rambaldi as “E.T. ‘s Gepetto,” comparing him to the fairy tale creator of Pinocchio, according to Julien’s Auctions.
Surprising Fact
Drew Barrymore, who starred in the film as a six-year-old, admitted this week that she believed the E.T. mechatronic model was a real alien. “I really, really loved him in such a profound way,” Barrymore said during an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show in which she invited her E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial costars K.C. Martel, Henry Thomas, and Dee Wallace for a reunion. Barrymore said she remembered taking lunch to the model, and her co-stars said Barrymore insisted that E.T. be given a scarf to wear on days it was cold on set. When Spielberg was told Barrymore was having one-sided conversations with E.T., he instructed animators to control the model as if it was interacting with Barrymore, even if cameras weren’t rolling, Wallace said.
Key Background
The model is part of a two-day auction in Beverly Hills, California, on December 17 and 18. It will be sold off alongside other Hollywood memorabilia, including three dresses worn by Marliyn Monroe and a prop broomstick used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, according to Julien’s Auctions. Hollywood memorabilia has an active market, and collectors often spend millions on items from the sets of their favorite movies. A dress worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz sold for more than $1.5 million in 2015, and the Cowardly Lion costume from the same film fetched $3 million the year before. In 2019, an Aston Martin DB5 used in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball sold at auction for $6.4 million.
Carlo Rambaldi pictured with E.T. on May 20th, 1982.
Further Reading
Star Wars Actor’s Memorabilia–Including Boba Fett’s Helmet–Up For Auction (Forbes)
1952 Mickey Mantle Card Sells For Record $12.6 Million At Auction (Forbes)
This Jacket Worn By Buzz Aldrin To The Moon And Back Could Sell For $2 Million At Auction (Forbes)
Kurt Cobain’s Guitar From Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Music Video Up For Auction (Forbes)
Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff
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