These are a couple shots of early E.T. concept art by special effects artist Rick Baker. As you can see, they clearly made the right decision making E.T. look like he does and not one of these burn-with-fire monsters. "E.T. phone home?" Sorry pal, but not before I phone a friend with a flamethrower.
The designs were actually done for a Steven Spielberg movie that was never made, Night Skies, which was going to center around a family terrorized by aliens in a rural farmhouse. Although Baker refused to work on the designs for E.T. after Spielberg pulled the plug on Night Skies, his designs went on to inspire the alien that we all rooted for in 1982.
Were we really all rooting for E.T.? Because I was kind of rooting for humanity being able to harness ADVANCED ALIEN TECHNOLOGY. But noooooooo, they had to let the little monster escape. Now where are our hoverboards? "Well when you put it that way." Right? Those scientists in the white lab coats weren't the bad guys. Keep going for a couple more shots, the second of which is actually kind of cute.
