I’ll be right here! It’s been 37 years since E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters and this Thanksgiving, the extraterrestrial is back.
In a new commercial for Xfinity, two kids are playing outside in the snow when their Christmas lights begin to flicker. Inside, the kids’ dad, original E.T. star Henry Thomas, looks concerned. Soon, the kids discover the extraterrestrial introduced in Steven Spielberg‘s 1982 film, hiding behind a snowman.
Quickly, Thomas, 48, runs outside and is very excited to see his old friend. “You came back!” he exclaims before introducing E.T. to his family. The full video, which debuted during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC on Thursday, November 28, features E.T. spending time with Elliot’s family, watching a movie together, before realizing that he needs to go home to his own family. With that, he rides off on his bike while Elliot’s family watches.
“The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts. It’s really a win-win,” Thomas said in a statement on Thursday. “Looking at the storyboards, I could see exactly why Steven [Spielberg] was really behind it because the integrity of the story isn’t lost in this retelling.”
Lance Acord, who directed the video, knew exactly what message the commercial was meant to send. “More than anything, the whole story is about family,” just as the original film did, the cinematographer said in a statement.
Comcast and Xfinity also revealed that E.T. will be airing on SYFY on Thanksgiving Day and will be available on-demand for Xfinity TV customers; those customers with X1 can also say “E.T. Phone Home” into their Voice Remote for an E.T.-themed destination! Additionally, the Xfinity retail locations have a special E.T. coloring book and candy on sale now.
The original film took home two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects.
