Spielberg says Elliott never saw E.T. again

Steven Spielberg’s new film Disclosure Day has renewed interest in the director’s earlier work, which many consider part of a thematic trilogy alongside Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. One lingering question from the 1980s classic has been what became of Elliott and the stranded alien after their farewell.

E.T. tracks the bond between a lonely boy, Elliott, and the alien who appears in his backyard, following their friendship through shifting home dynamics, a “Phone Home” mission and the iconic bicycle escape to return E.T. to the mothership. The adventure ends with a heartbreaking goodbye in which E.T.

touches Elliott’s forehead and says, "I'll be right here," promising their telepathic and emotional connection will endure. On Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Spielberg put the matter to rest: "Never saw him again. But he did dream about him. So, there was the psychic link between the two of them.

steven spielberg, e.t, elliott, disclosure day, close encounters, phone home, bicycle escape, mothership, josh horowitz, psychic link