E.T. reunites with Elliott, but sadly it's just for an advert

One of the most heart-warming friendships in cinema history has been rekindled in time for Christmas, as Elliott and E.T. share the screen once again — for an advert.

It has been 37 years since the alien visitor befriended a human child in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1982 sci-fi adventure.

Now, though, Sky has reunited E.T. with an older Elliott — again played by Henry Thomas — and his own family.

“The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts,” said Thomas in a statement to Variety.

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The two-minute film — which runs to a longer, four-minute version in the USA — sees the adorable alien return to Earth to reconnect with his old friend, learning about all of the world’s new, advanced technology in the process.

Anyone who has spent the last few years yearning to see an alien use a tablet and a VR headset is likely to get exactly what they want from the new ad.

Of course, E.T. also takes Elliott’s children for a ride across the face of the moon on flying bicycles and says a heartfelt goodbye to his friends as he returns home to his own family.

Variety reports that the new ad has the backing of Spielberg, who has always been wary about the ways in which he has allowed E.T. to be seen.

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The director famously resisted allowing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to be released on home entertainment formats.

His film was a box office smash and it has earned $793m (£614m) at the global box office, including its original run and several re-releases.

E.T. was also nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, and won four gongs on the night, but it ultimately lost out in the major categories to epic biopic Gandhi.