MovieChat Forums > E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Discussion > Why did it take six years for E.T. to be...

Why did it take six years for E.T. to be officially released on home video?

posted 3 years ago by TMC-4 (19392)
5 replies | jump to latest

E.T. wasn't released on video until 1988:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rlzgsA5iA4

In comparison, The Empire Strikes Back, which was first released in 1980, had already been on VHS since 1982!

[–] g-bone (531) 3 years ago

I don’t think Spielberg was a big fan of home video at the time. Also, it got a second theater release in 85.

[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

I remember that. I also somehow had a bootleg copy of it before it was released, and it made me one of the popular kids in the neighborhood.

[–] Schuss (4) 3 years ago

Your date is incorrect. Empire was released on home video Nov. of '84. It was rereleased in '82 at the theaters.

One thing to also consider is E.T. was also rereleased in theaters in '85. I do agree '88 was bit of a stretch, if anything '87 would be more apropo.

[–] overseas7 (3523) 3 years ago

Not in the year 1982?

[–] Moonglum9 (10699) 3 years ago

It takes that long for signals to travel to his home planet and back and they needed to get consent from E.T. parents because he was underage at the time. He was only 7684 years old. For Eetees, that's the human equivalent of 6.