Steven Spielberg just settled it: did Elliott and E.T. ever reunite?
After decades of speculation, Steven Spielberg just settled the lingering mystery from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: what became of Elliott and E.T. after the credits rolled.
Well, Spielberg is properly back in the headlines at the moment—thanks to his freshly released film 'Disclosure Day'. People are calling it the spiritual close to a thematic trilogy that kicked off with 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' and rolled straight into 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'. Spielberg, once again, pokes around at all the big, sticky sci-fi questions he left hanging decades ago. But there’s one nagging question that’s managed to escape closure: what actually happened to Elliott and his squidgy mate E.T. after the credits rolled back in the '80s?
What Actually Became of Elliott and E.T.?
Unsurprisingly, fans have never stopped faffing about the ending—wondering whether Elliott ever ran into E.T. again. Well, we finally have it from the man himself. Spielberg nipped onto Josh Horowitz's 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast to put everyone’s theories in the bin and reveal what really went on. Simple answer: nothing physical. He doesn’t bother with an ambiguous tease or dodgy sequel material; he just comes out with it.
'Never saw him again. But he did dream about him. So, there was the psychic link between the two of them. If you notice that E.T. touched Elliott right here and said, "I'll be right here." That was for the rest of Elliott's life.'
So, even though Elliott and E.T. never shared a pint, exchanged Christmas cards, or went on another galaxy-hopping adventure, the psychic hotline stayed open—E.T. linked to Elliott’s brain for life. Which, if you ask me, is far more haunting (and maybe comforting?) than just reuniting for a semi-awkward hug as adults.
That Christmas Reunion Advert? Nice Try, Not Canon
If you remember, everyone got all misty-eyed in 2019 over that Xfinity holiday commercial, 'A Holiday Reunion', with Henry Thomas—yes, Elliott himself—back on screen. In this wonderfully odd five-minute ad, grown-up Elliott, now with his own family, welcomes E.T. back and introduces him to the wonders of modern broadband and flat-screen telly. Quite sweet, but Spielberg has now punted that out of the official film universe entirely. Yes, it's fun nostalgia, but if you’re gunning for screen-accurate lore, you can forget it. According to Spielberg, that original goodbye in the forest really was the end of the physical story.