Screenwriter Melissa Mathison developed E.T. from Steven Spielberg’s story idea (often described as A Boy’s Life during production). A documented 1981 typescript notes a shooting-script revision dated September 8, 1981, anchoring the project’s final push into production. This script’s focus on a child’s point of view helped position the film as a major test of the family-friendly blockbuster market.
Filming began on September 8, 1981, in Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley. The production used the cover name A Boy’s Life to reduce attention and protect the plot. Shooting with many child actors required careful scheduling and helped shape the movie’s natural, family-centered tone.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as the closing film on May 26, 1982. This high-profile launch signaled that the movie was being treated as a major international release, not just a children’s film. Early festival buzz helped build momentum ahead of the U.S. rollout.
Universal released E.T. in the United States on June 11, 1982, with a PG rating aimed at broad family audiences. The release timing placed it directly in the competitive summer season, where studios increasingly relied on big openings and strong word of mouth. The movie’s mix of science fiction and family drama widened the definition of what a summer “blockbuster” could be.
In its opening weekend, E.T. debuted at number one at the U.S. box office, signaling immediate mainstream appeal. A strong opening mattered because it encouraged theaters to keep the film on screens longer, expanding its reach to families who went later rather than on opening weekend. This pattern helped the movie become a long-running hit, not just a short spike.
In December 1982, Universal brought E.T. back to theaters for a Christmas-season re-release, helping it regain top box-office positioning. This approach treated a family movie like an evergreen attraction—something audiences might return to or see for the first time during school breaks. The success reinforced re-releases as a practical strategy for maximizing a family film’s earnings.
By the end of the year, E.T. was the highest-grossing film among 1982 releases in North America, with domestic box office totals around $359 million. This performance showed that a family film could dominate the market without being a sequel or a pre-existing franchise. Studios increasingly chased similar “four-quadrant” movies—films designed to attract kids, parents, teens, and adults.
In 1983, E.T. surpassed Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time (based on then-current worldwide grosses). This milestone mattered because it showed that emotionally driven, family-centered storytelling could compete with and exceed action-heavy spectacle. The record stood until 1993, shaping studio expectations for what “event” family films could earn.
At the Academy Awards honoring 1982 films, E.T. received nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won four Oscars: Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing. The nominations and wins signaled that a major family-oriented blockbuster could also be treated as a top-tier craft and prestige production.
Box Office Mojo lists E.T. at $359,197,037 in domestic gross for its 1982 release record. Tracking totals like this became central to how studios measured success and planned future “family blockbuster” investments. The film’s sustained earnings also highlighted the value of long theater runs driven by repeat viewing and word of mouth.
E.T. was released on VHS and LaserDisc on October 27, 1988, with a notably low suggested retail price for a major studio film. Wider affordability helped push the movie into many households, supporting repeat family viewing and making it a staple of late-1980s home entertainment. This release helped show how family hits could generate long-term value beyond theaters.
In 1994, the Library of Congress added E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to the U.S. National Film Registry, which recognizes films as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This selection marked an institutional judgment that the film’s influence went beyond box-office performance. It also reinforced E.T. as a key reference point for the modern family film market that studios built on in the early 1980s and after.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) — Release, Box Office, and Family Film Market (1981-1983)