“I’ll be right here!” It’s been 37 years since E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters and this Thanksgiving, the extraterrestrial is back.
But, it’s not what you think it’s in the form of a new short film featuring Xfinity. Today reports that the short film, titled “A Holiday Reunion,” premiered during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
In it, two children are playing in the snow when the lights begin to flicker. Their father, Henry Thomas, who played Elliot in E.T., gets a suspicious look on his face, just before discovering E.T. himself hiding behind a snowman. Sound familiar?
He runs toward E.T., exclaiming: “You came back!”
They then show the little guy all the newest inventions, including cable and internet before feeding him cupcakes covered with Reese’s Pieces. Then, of course, a tearful goodbye.
“The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts. It’s really a win-win,” Thomas said in a statement on Thursday. “Looking at the storyboards, I could see exactly why Steven [Spielberg] was really behind it because the integrity of the story isn’t lost in this retelling.”
Comcast and Xfinity also revealed that E.T. will be airing on SYFY on Thanksgiving Day and will be available on-demand for Xfinity TV customers; those customers with X1 can also say “E.T. Phone Home” into their Voice Remote for an E.T.-themed destination! Additionally, the Xfinity retail locations have a special E.T. coloring book and candy on sale now. Watch “A Holiday Reunion” below.