In 1982 "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was released to theater audiences, becoming a hit classic that is still popular as the film celebrates its 40th anniversary.
The film's star, Henry Thomas, who played "Elliott" in the movie, said when he first started reading the script, he thought “this guy with a finger that can heal you” was an odd idea, CNN reported.
Thomas told CNN that director Steven Spielberg "was able to talk to you and make you feel like a peer and not feel as though you were being talked down to, which is important when you’re a kid.”
Thomas was just a child when he took the role in the early 80s and said he was a fan of Star Wars and other sci-fi 80s classics and thought the movie was weird because it didn't have any fighting scenes.
He said, instead, the movie took a different turn, saying that it “speaks to our universal human compassion.”
Thomas said, "We all have the nurturer inside of us, right? So I think it speaks to that. It brings us back to being young."
To celebrate the film's 40th anniversary, a 4k Ultra HD version will be released that will feature never-before-seen footage that includes a look back at the movie and interviews with the cast and crew.