“The Making of ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.’ “The unexpected inspirations proved effective. Rambaldi, who had previously worked with Spielberg on the aliens in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” won an Academy Award for his work on “E.T.” It was his third Oscar, following wins for his work on Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and John Guillermin’s 1976 remake of “King Kong.” But “E.T.” was the Italy native’s crowning creation.
Upon Rambaldi’s death in 2012 at age 86, Spielberg called him “E.T.’s Geppetto.”This month marks the 40th anniversary of Spielberg’s childhood classic.
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