Movies - TV
The E.T. Animatronic Has Sold at Auction for Over $2.5 Million
By MIYAKO PLEINES
The puppet in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was designed by renowned special effects artist, Carlo Rambaldi, who is known for his work in other out-of-this-world films like Ridley Scott's “Alien” and another celestial Steven Spielberg film, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Recently, fans had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase the actual mechanical puppet.
In an auction held by Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies, this iconic puppet was put up for sale with bids starting at $500,000. The listing for this slice of Hollywood history described the puppet as “one of the actual, last surviving, authentic animatronic E.T. 's used during the making of the beloved and cherished blockbuster film.”
The cost to create E.T. was $1.5 million, but at auction, the piece sold for a whopping $2.5 million. According to the listing, 13 bids were placed before the final selling price was locked in, though the item was purchased by an anonymous bidder — whoever the lucky winner is though, their newfound piece of cinema history is definitely something to phone home about.