An original model of E.T. created for Steven Spielberg’s beloved film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial did not find a buyer after being put up for auction, Sotheby’s auction house in New York said on Thursday.
The piece, a little over 1m tall and which had been estimated to fetch between US$600,000 and US$900,000, comes from the collection of Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi.
The three-time Oscar winner — including one for E.T. — died in 2012 at the age of 86.
Photo: Reuters
“Rambaldi’s beloved E.T. model is an extraordinary piece of film history,” Sotheby’s vice chair Cassandra Hatton told reporters.
“While it did not find a buyer during today’s auction, its significance remains undiminished,” Hatton added.
The model offered for sale is one of three used by Spielberg for his 1982 film.
In a statement issued before the auction, Hatton described the model as embodying “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.”
Sotheby’s said that a separate E.T. sketch made by Rambaldi had sold on Thursday for more than US$53,000, well above its top-end estimate of US$18,000.
In 2022, a metallic automaton representing E.T. and also used during the shooting of the successful film was sold for US$2.56 million at an auction organized by California-based auction house Julien’s.
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