After being put up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York, an original model of E.T., created for Steven Spielberg’s beloved movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, failed to find a buyer.
The piece, which is just over a meter high, was part of the collection of Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi and was previously valued between $600,000 (Php 34.2 million) and $900,000 (Php 51.3 million).
The model features a metal base with an aluminum frame, covered in latex, foam, straw, acrylic paint, and adhesive. According to Sotheby’s, its wear reflects its age and use during production.
Although the Academy Award winner passed away in 2012, his family kept the E.T. body model and other artifacts from his legendary career in special effects.
“Rambaldi’s beloved ET model is an extraordinary piece of film history,” Sotheby’s vice chair of science and natural history Cassandra Hatton told AFP.
She continued stating, “While it did not find a buyer during today’s auction, its significance remains undiminished.”
Spielberg used three models for his 1982 film, including the one up for sale.
Hatton said in a statement before the auction that the model embodied “the artistry of an era before CGI (computer-generated imagery) took hold, a nostalgic and iconic piece of Hollywood history as captivating as the stories themselves.”
Among the many awards the movie received were four Academy Awards in 19833. It was the highest-grossing film ever made for a while. Due to his “meticulous craftsmanship” in beginning the title character to life, Rambaldi was instrumental in the film’s success, as stated by Hatton.
According to Sotheby’s, a separate E.T. sketch by Rambaldi sold for more than $53,000 (Php 3 million), significantly more than the top-end estimate of $18,000 (Php 1 million).
In 2022, a metal automaton that represented E.T. which was also utilized throughout the production of the popular movie was sold at $2.56 million at an auction hosted by American house Julien’s.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Man charged after allegedly attacking wife with rock, syringes on Hawaii trail
Val Kilmer, legendary actor known for his roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever, passes away at 65
‘Gigil’ and other Filipino words added to the Oxford English Dictionary
Heavy ChatGPT users show signs of dependency, study finds
Video game allows pet owners to imagine a reunion with their fur babies in heaven
