The original “E.T.” model is up for sale, but its price tag could get all the way up to $3 million for the lucky winner who takes home the beloved item at an upcoming auction.
The original prop from the 1982 classic film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is being sold in the Icons and Idols: Hollywood auction, which lines up with the 40th anniversary of the movie this year. The auction will be held in December and is put on by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Julien’s Auctions said the item could get up to the $3 million mark.
“We are thrilled to continue the 40th anniversary party for ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,’ and the genius of Steven Spielberg can never be celebrated enough,” Pola Changnon, general manager of TCM, said.
“This auction truly runs the spectrum of film history, from the classics to the modern era, and Julien’s is yet again making these unbelievably rare items accessible to film lovers everywhere,” Changnon added.
The model was used for the movie’s main character, an alien who comes to earth from outer space and enters the lives of a small town family. It consists of an aluminum mixture and has 85 mechanical areas of movement. Since there was no modern-day CGI at the time, for the filming, twelve animators used the model to depict the character’s facial expressions and motion.
It was made in 1981 by Carlo Rambaldi, an Italian special effects designer, who received an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for his part in the film’s operations in 1983. Director Steven Spielberg once said Rambaldi was “E.T.’s Gepetto,” similar to the fictional maker of Pinocchio. The movie was nominated for a total of nine Academy Awards and won four of them.
“We could not be more honored than to work with the family of Carlo Rambaldi, caretakers of one of the most incredible pop culture figures in the history of Hollywood – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Rambaldi was a pioneer in the field and his artistry brought unreal characters to life in a way that has never been replicated with modern-day visual effects,” Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said.
Additional “E.T.” items up for sale are an initial model created for Spielberg to see and sign off on, and several original mechanical blueprints. Three Marilyn Monroe dresses are also up for auction, as well as products from films like “Titanic,” “Iron Man 2,” “Risky Business,” and more.