How did a terrifying alleged incident involving “real” extraterrestrials inspire Steven Spielberg to create the cuddly E.T.
- Steven Spielberg has had a lifelong fascination with alien beings from beyond the stars.
The Extra-Terrestrial(1982) andWar of the Worlds(2005).
But what exactly was the incident, and why is it famous in Ufology?
How did it influenceNight Skies, and how didNight Skiesitself morph into an utterly different film altogether?
And it certainly lit a creative fire in the mind ofSteven Spielberg.
One director he had in mind was Tobe Hooper, the horror filmmaker behindThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreandEaten Alive.
Columbia Pictures was not enamored with the way thatNight Skieshad morphed into what was then calledE.T.
- After completingRaiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg officially began shooting his next film, now retitledE.T.
The Extra-Terrestrial, in September 1981.
It could be argued thatNight Skiesdied so thatE.T.could live, to the benefit and enjoyment of generations of moviegoers.
Except thatlike the folklore surrounding the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter itselfNight Skiesrefused to go away.
It can all be traced back to that Kentucky farmhouse in 1955… and maybe two particularly angry birds.
