E.T turns 43 years old and why M&Ms missed out

📅 On This Day in 1982… E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial landed in cinemas and captured our hearts — and we’re still not over it 43 years later.

From Reese’s Pieces to the glowing fingertip, Spielberg’s sci-fi masterpiece reminded us all to “be good” — and maybe call home once in a while.

But did you know that Spielberg originally intended for Elliott to lure ET with a trail of M&Ms?

According to Far Out magazine: “The only reason they never ended up in the movie was that Mars Incorporated, who own M&Ms, refused to give the filmmaker permission to use the multi-coloured chocolates. As a result, Spielberg chose Reese’s Pieces as a replacement.”

“Hershey Foods, who own Reese’s Pieces, struck a deal to promote the movie, dedicating $1million to advertising, all whilst Universal allowed them to feature the titular alien in their visual media. Earning close to $800million at the box office from a budget of just $10.5m, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became a significant hit and, as a result, sales for Reese’s Pieces jumped 85% in the weeks following its release in June 1982.”

🎬 What’s your favorite E.T. moment? Let us know below.