The parallels between E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars are plentiful, with Yoda appearing in the former and relatives of E.T. appearing in The Phantom Menace. Still, E.T. could've had a piece of Han Solo if a cameo had made it past the cutting room floor.
Harrison Ford famously made a cameo in an early version of the film, though the clip was eventually cut. An incredibly low-quality cut of the scene is available below. It features Ford as the principal of Eliott's school.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Spielberg finally discussed Ford's long-lost cameo.
"He did the scene where E.T. is home levitating all of the stuff for his communicator up the stairs," Spielberg said. "Elliott is in the principal's office after the frog incident. We don't ever see Harrison's face. We just hear his voice, see his body.
"[Elliott actor] Henry [Thomas]'s chair starts levitating, so as E.T. is lifting all of the communicator paraphernalia up the stairs, Henry starts rising off the ground in the chair until his head hits the ceiling.... Just as Harrison turns, E.T. loses control of the weight of everything and it all falls down the stairs, and Henry comes crashing down to the ground, and lands perfectly. Four-point landing. The principal turns around, and as far as he's concerned, nothing ever happened."
Here's hoping the scene eventually gets a proper release. Until then, watch a shitty version of it below.
Harrison Ford famously made a cameo in an early version of the film, though the clip was eventually cut. An incredibly low-quality cut of the scene is available below. It features Ford as the principal of Eliott's school.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Spielberg finally discussed Ford's long-lost cameo.
"He did the scene where E.T. is home levitating all of the stuff for his communicator up the stairs," Spielberg said. "Elliott is in the principal's office after the frog incident. We don't ever see Harrison's face. We just hear his voice, see his body.
"[Elliott actor] Henry [Thomas]'s chair starts levitating, so as E.T. is lifting all of the communicator paraphernalia up the stairs, Henry starts rising off the ground in the chair until his head hits the ceiling.... Just as Harrison turns, E.T. loses control of the weight of everything and it all falls down the stairs, and Henry comes crashing down to the ground, and lands perfectly. Four-point landing. The principal turns around, and as far as he's concerned, nothing ever happened."
Here's hoping the scene eventually gets a proper release. Until then, watch a shitty version of it below.