Comcast, the owner of the Universal movie studio that distributed the creature’s blockbuster 1982 film, has placed him in a new longform commercial for the company and its broadband, cable and satellite products.
In the ad, which debuted during the Thursday broadcast of the annual “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” on Comcast’s NBC, E.T.
"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," said Thomas, in a statement provided by Comcast.
The ad - more than four minutes long in some versions - marks a bold bet by the Philadelphia entertainment giant that it can use its revered intellectual property for commercial purposes without upsetting some fans who might blanch at the notion.
Director Spielberg pulled the film from release after a year, and did not make it available immediately via videocassette or cable, then re-released it in 1985.
In a world when nearly every piece of intellectual property from Sesame Street Muppets to Bob Dylan songs seems ripe for marketing and sales, some people still resist.
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