Steven Spielberg & Henry Thomas

Photo: Steven Spielberg directing a young Henry Thomas on the E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial movie set. The movie was filmed mainly at Culver Studios in Culver City, CA.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was the 4th film Spielberg (co)produced and 21st he directed. E.T. was the 3rd movie in Thomas’ acting career.

The movie premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival after first previewed in Houston, Texas. It was released in the United States on June 11, 1982. The film opened at number one and stayed there for a month and a half. It grossed $11 million dollars. In 1983, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial superseded Star Wars as the highest grossing film of all time.

The film was so popular it was rereleased three years later in 1985 and then again in 2002 to commemorate the film’s 20th anniversary.