One of the highest grossing films of all-time, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, has returned after a 37 year hiatus, but not as a sequel but as a new ad for US internet and telco firm, Xfinity.
Not only is the rubbery little alien back – and he hasn’t aged a bit – but so is the original film’s “Elliott” played by actor Henry Thomas.
Complete with a Christmas theme, the ad recreates many of the original film’s iconic moments and aims to show how technology can bring people together.
The spot’s the work of San Francisco creative agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners. It’s not been revealed how much Xfinity paid for the rights to recreate E.T. However, Xfinity is owned by Comcast that also owns Universal Pictures which owns the the E.T rights. So, somewhere along the way the deal got inked.
And if you think the ad’s a possible harbinger to a new E.T flick, think again. Original director Steven Spielberg has spent the last four decades saying he’d never do a sequel.
Check out the fun below:
Commenting on the ad, Goodby Silverstein & Partners co-chairman Jeff Goodby said: “People don’t care about technology inherently. They care about the way it connects them to other people. This story is an emotional reunion between two characters we know and love.”