Why is it so wet-looking? He looks like a professional wrestler covered in baby oil. We can’t answer that question, but if you’re willing to stump up a million dollars, you can own this incredibly glossy piece of sci-fi history.
It might be slightly scary, but this rare remnant of Hollywood’s illustrious past was actually used in the filming of director Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi fantasy, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and could fetch nearly one million dollars when auction bidding finally closes on the historic lot next month.
An authentic shooting model of the beloved character has surfaced from the personal collection of a special effects and makeup effects master, whose work has graced the screen for decades in blockbuster films. The artist sadly passed away in 2012 in Italy after conjuring up a lifetime of cinematic magic.
The auction opens on March 21 and continues through April 3.
The squat three-foot-tall E.T. model was designed by the artist in 1981 and was used in the amusing bedroom closet scene, where E.T. tries to silently blend into a huge pile of dolls and stuffed animals on the floor in an attempt to hide from the character’s mother.
Additional items being auctioned from the Rambaldi collection are: never-before-seen sketches for E.T.; an animatronic study of one of E.T.’s eyes; a pair of screen-used sandworm models from “Dune”; and a dinosaur egg and baby dinosaur animatronic from “Rex: A Dinosaur’s Story”.
“The artist’s genius defined animatronics and special effects in film making, bringing to life some of cinema’s most unforgettable creatures,” adds a representative. “His meticulous craftsmanship behind icons such as E.T., the sandworms of ‘Dune,’ and ‘King Kong,’ remains a testament to the magic of practical effects. This model embodies the artistry of an era before CGI took hold, a nostalgic and iconic piece of Hollywood history as captivating as the stories themselves.”
For more information on the auction please visit the official site HERE.
If a million dollareedoos is too rich for your blood, there’s still time to pick up Chewbacca’s bowcaster or Luke’s medal from Star Wars for a much more reasonable half a million in the Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction too.
