Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Tops Streaming Charts

Steven Spielberg has spent more than five decades creating movies that define popular culture. Jaws helped launch the modern summer blockbuster, Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced one of cinema’s greatest adventure heroes, and Jurassic Park brought dinosaurs to life for an entire generation. Spielberg also built an acclaimed dramatic catalog with films such as Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, while recent releases like West Side Story and The Fabelmans demonstrated his ongoing interest in exploring distinct genres.

Earlier this year, the filmmaker returned to science fiction with Disclosure Day, revisiting his long-standing fascination with life beyond Earth. Now, one of Spielberg’s foundational sci-fi hits has climbed the streaming charts following its arrival on Apple TV.

What is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial about?

Released in 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial centers on Elliott, a lonely 10-year-old boy who finds an alien stranded on Earth. Elliott quietly shelters the visitor at home, confides in his siblings, and works to help E.T. communicate with his home world before government agents intervene.

Spielberg grounded the sci-fi adventure in an intimate story about childhood, isolation, and friendship. The combination turned the film into a massive global hit. The image of Elliott and E.T. silhouetted against the moon on a flying bicycle grew into one of the most recognizable frames in cinema, and the release quickly established the title character as a cultural icon while becoming one of the highest-earning movies of its era.

What is next for Steven Spielberg?

Spielberg’s recent sci-fi release, Disclosure Day, starred Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo. The film opened at number one at the box office, earning $44 million domestically and $92.9 million globally to deliver the director his strongest opening weekend for an original film in years.

Critical reaction to the film was also positive. Polygon’s review praised Disclosure Day for balancing the momentum of a modern thriller with the sense of wonder seen in earlier Spielberg classics like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

For his next effort, Spielberg plans to shift gears completely. During an appearance at SXSW, the director revealed that he is developing a Western, taking on one of the few traditional film genres he has never directed.

Source: Polygon