E.T. The Extra Terrestrial’s 30th Anniversary Poster

By Joshua Tyler | Updated

E.T.: The Extraterrestrial turned 30 years old in 2012. And with the calendar flipping over for the anniversary, Universal Pictures released a special Blu-Ray edition of the movie, complete with a new cover of our favorite little alien.

Check out the updated look for the cover below.

E.T.: The Extraterrestrial 30th anniversary blu-ray

The above poster comes from Hopko Designs and the design was also used for the 30th Anniversary E.T.: The Extraterrestrial Blu-ray cover as well. 

You can see the updated image in Blu-ray form as well.

E.T.: The Extraterrestrial 30th anniversary blu-ray

It’s a stunning reminder of the nostalgic and beautiful nature of the story. Plus, there are some of our favorite characters. Prominently featured is E.T. of course. But there’s also Henry Thomas’s Elliot, Drew Barrymore as Gertie, and Robert MacNaughton as Greg. 

It makes sense, considering the family nature of this story and how the Taylor siblings work together to save the newest addition from being taken by the government. 

While the iconic E.T.: The Extraterrestrial moment and image is the bike scene, flying over the backdrop of the moon (the most memorable and lasting piece of this movie), this 30th Anniversary cover moves away from that to focus more on the characters. It makes a lot of sense.

Many thought that with the movie hitting the 30-year mark, we would have seen a re-release in theaters. After all, that happened at the 20-year anniversary. But alas, it didn’t come to pass at the time. The Blu-Ray edition was the way to go to get the movie.

When it comes to the history of cinema, and especially when it comes to family sci-fi films, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial stands almost alone in the ability to not only capture imaginations but also deeply humanize the idea of finding life beyond our planet.

Seeing this “discovery” through children’s eyes rather than cynical adults (aren’t they the worst?) brings the whole thing such a loving and nurturing vibe. It stands as a modern classic, still holding up all these years later.

The E.T.: The Extraterrestrial 30th Anniversary poster and Blu-Ray cover is a reminder of this innocence and the true meaning of the movie. E.T. brings the light with his finger, sure, but it’s really about his ability to bring this group together.