Four Decades Later, Spielberg’s E.T. Endures as a Streaming Powerhouse on Apple TV

The 1980s stand as one of cinema’s most transformative decades, marked by groundbreaking innovation and a fundamental shift in audience engagement. This era produced an extraordinary collection of landmark films, including Giuseppe Tornatore’s beloved Cinema Paradiso, Robert Zemeckis’ adventurous Back to the Future, Spike Lee’s influential Do the Right Thing, and the iconic Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.

Yet no filmmaker defined the period quite like Steven Spielberg, whose prolific output included Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Color Purple, and Empire of the Sun. However, his most celebrated work of the decade—and arguably his finest achievement—is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The poignant story of an alien’s bond with a lonely young boy named Elliott Taylor, portrayed by Henry Thomas, has become one of cinema’s most enduring narratives, thanks in large part to Melissa Mathison’s acclaimed screenplay.

The film achieved remarkable commercial success, earning nearly $800 million worldwide against a modest $10.5 million budget. Domestically, it generated $439 million with an additional $358 million from international markets, making it one of the decade’s highest-grossing releases. Notably, it remains the second-longest-standing title among the 25 highest-grossing science fiction films of all time. Now, 44 years after its initial release, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is experiencing a resurgence. Currently, the science fiction masterpiece ranks among the top ten most-streamed films on Apple TV in the United States, competing alongside Josh Greenbaum’s The Dink.

Steven Spielberg Returned to Science Fiction Earlier This Year

Following nearly a decade away from the genre after 2018’s Ready Player One, Spielberg made his return to science fiction with Disclosure Day. Despite a challenging theatrical performance, the film accumulated approximately $250 million globally against a reported $115 million budget. As expected, Spielberg assembled an impressive ensemble cast for this project, led by Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Josh O’Connor (Challengers), and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), along with numerous other prominent Hollywood performers.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial continues to rank among the most-watched titles on Apple TV in the United States.

Release DateJune 11, 1982

Runtime115 minutes

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