'E.T.' returns for short film, commercial through Comcast's network
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Stephen Spielberg’s blockbuster 1982 film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” has an epilogue during NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, thanks to a nostalgia-filled Comcast Xfinity advertisement.
The four-minute short, titled “A Holiday Reunion,” reunites Henry Thomas, who played the character of Elliott, and his extraterrestrial pal nearly 37-years after the two made cinema history, with Elliott now a married father of two. The original film grossed $359 million in the U.S. and another $304 million internationally while taking home nine Oscar nominations and four Oscar awards upon its initial release, according to Deadline.
Since then, various re-releases have placed the iconic film’s worldwide cumulative gross at nearly $1 billion, making it the fourth-biggest movie of all time when adjusted for inflation.
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With the E.T. brand becoming a financial juggernaut since the film's theatrical debut, for which 120 million tickets sold in the U.S., Comcast has since put the property to use while using its extensive portfolio of media properties to both create, promote and air it.
In 2009, the broadband and video network purchased Universal Pictures, which produced the 1982 film, allowing Comcast to use the rights and image of the E.T. character.
From there, the telecommunications giant used its digital properties and aired the E.T. short through the likes of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal in the United States and Sky network in the United Kingdom and Western Europe.
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A 30-second version of “A Holiday Reunion” aired during commercial breaks for NBC’s primetime NFL telecast this week, which will continue through the rest of the holiday season, Deadline reports.
Syfy, another Comcast-owned channel, played the longer version of the E.T. short during commercial breaks of the original "E.T." film, which aired on Thursday evening, as well.
The E.T. spot will also air on Comcast network’s television properties through Jan. 5, as well as at the Comcast Xfinity website and the broadband platform’s retail stores across the country.
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