In just a couple of days, fans of ’80s cinema will be able to get their hands on a very important movie prop. Sotheby’s, the broker in charge of auctioning all kinds of valuable objects, is set to auction a piece fromSteven Spielberg’s 1982 classic,E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Anyone can make their bid, that is if they have money to spare. The piece, an original model of E.T. used in the movie, will be offered to anyone who has somewhere around $900,000 to spend.
PerThe Hollywood Reporter, Sotheby’s will run an auction event called “There Are Such Things: 20th Century Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy on Screen,” and a few memorable items will be available for bidding from March 21 to July 01, 2025. During the auction, several pieces designed by Carlo Rambaldi will be available to bid and purchase. Rambaldi was the special effects artist who worked on films likeKing Kong(1976),Close Encounters of the Third Kind(1977),Alien(1979), and Spielberg’sE.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
Daniela Rambaldi, his daughter and VP of Fondazione Culturale Carlo Rambaldi, said the following about the auction:
“We are truly honored to collaborate with Sotheby’s and deeply grateful for this opportunity to bring my father’s work to auction. We hope that the artifacts being offered will bring immense joy to those who will cherish them in the years to come, just as they have brought great emotions to my family and shaped the magic of my childhood. These iconic pieces hold a special place in our hearts, and it is our sincere wish that they continue to inspire and captivate future generations.”
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TheE.T. prop that is set to be auctioned is the model of the beloved alien that was used in the scene where E.T. disguises himself amid the other stuffed toys in a closet. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, the auction event will also include props fromBlade Runner,The Wizard of Oz,Total Recall, andJurassic Park, among others.
The Entire World Bonded With a Puppet in 1982
In 1982, audiences connected with a creature from another world. Released in the summer of that year,E.T. The Extra-Terrestrialwas a box office triumph that landed Spielberg another win. A year prior,Raiders of the Lost Arkhad become the highest-grossing movie of the year.E.T.doubled the earnings and turned Spielberg into the decade’smost promising filmmaker.
It sounds weird, but part of the movie’s charm has to do with its creature, powered by puppeteers and animatronic experts. E.T. was hideous, and some were probably frightened by it. But deep inside the huge eyes, raspy voice and wrinkly brown skin, there was an unconditional friend. Everyone stared in wonder when the bikes flew, everyone cried when E.T. “died” surrounded by faceless scientists, and later celebrated when E.T. was able to go back home. It was a well-written story, of course, directed by a visionary who found out how to turn a puppet into a family member. We all wished we had an E.T. back in the day, and now, for a massive chunk of money, you can actually have one.
The Hollywood Reporter
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
