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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a young boy who befriends an extraterrestrial creature, whom he nicknames E.T., accidentally left on Earth by his fellow humans. Together with his friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. return home while avoiding government meddling. The film stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore.

The concept was based on an imaginary friend thought up by Spielberg after his parents divorced. In 1980, Spielberg met with Mathison and developed a new story from an unrealized Night Skies project. In less than two months, Mathison wrote the first draft of the screenplay, titled E.T. and Me, which underwent two rewrites. The project was rejected by Columbia Pictures, which doubted its commercial potential. Universal Pictures eventually purchased the script for $1 million. Filming took place from September to December 1981 with a budget of $10.5 million. Unlike most films, it was shot in a rough chronological order to facilitate convincing emotional performances by the young cast. E.T.’s animatronics were designed by Carlo Rambaldi.