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E.T. and Elliott reunite in nostalgic Xfinity Christmas commercial

ET and Elliott in A Holiday Reunion
E.T. returns to Earth to see Elliott again. Pic credit: Xfinity/YouTube

E.T. reunites with his earthling pal Elliott, nearly four decades after his original visit to Earth, in a new video uploaded to Xfinity’s YouTube account on Thanksgiving Day. Henry Thomas reprises his role as Elliott, alongside the friendly alien, in a short video that has received more than five million views since it was uploaded yesterday.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg, was one of the biggest blockbusters of 1982. It was a massive box office success, raking in $792.9 million in revenues on an estimated budget of only $10.5 million.

Fans wanted to see more of Elliott and his friend, voiced by Pat Welsh, but they never got their wish as Spielberg never made a sequel to the movie. He reportedly worked with writer Melissa Mathison on a sequel, titled E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears, that was eventually abandoned.

Xfinity released a reunion video for Elliott and E.T. this Thanksgiving, titled A Holiday Reunion. After 37 years, E.T. returns to Earth to visit Elliott for the holidays. But Elliott isn’t the 10-year-old boy the alien met nearly four decades ago. He is now an adult with a family of his own. This does not get in the way of the old friends having a good time together again.

Enjoy the video below.

Elliott’s children were the first to see the strange creature from outer space. When he emerges from behind a snowman, the children scream in fright. E.T. is also frightened and lets out a scream as well. The kids calm down after they realize (it seems) that the strange creature appears to be just as scared as they are.

Elliott hears the commotion from inside and rushes out to see what is happening. His jaw hangs open when he sees his old alien friend.

“Elliott!” E.T. says.

“You came back,” Elliott said, rushing to greet his friend.

Elliott then introduces his family — his son, daughter, and wife. They hold they alien’s hands and take him inside.

Things have changed a lot since the 1980s when he last visited Earth. There is internet now and E.T. shares a VR headset with Elliott’s son. He has dinner with Elliott’s family, and later, they have fun together outdoors in the snow.

At the end of the day, they snuggle on the sofa in front of the fireplace, with blankets on their laps, to enjoy holiday movies on their Xfinity service.

And that brings us to the fact that the video is only a Christmas commercial for Xfinity. Yet, it is fun, compelling, and emotionally stirring to watch. By making it retain much of the look and feel of the movie, Xfinity ruthlessly exploits the power nostalgia for a tear-jerking effect.

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