Where were you between 1975 and 1982? If the answer is “not born yet”, now’s your chance to fix some of the gaping holes in your collective experience of going to the movies. In 1975, Steven Spielberg’s spectacular and influential shark horror Jaws released to cinemas. Several years later in 1982, another landmark film arrived, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – this time in the form of a touching sci-fi drama story about a boy who finds an alien much like a stray dog.
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment announced that, for the first time, audiences will be able to experience two classic, culture-defining Steven Spielberg films—E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jaws—on IMAX® screens worldwide.
Both films will be released exclusively on IMAX screens in South Africa from 9 September to celebrate E.T.’s 40th Anniversary and Jaws 47th Anniversary.
“Universal is honored to have been a part of so many extraordinary, unforgettable Steven Spielberg films over the past 47 years, including Jaws in 1975, E.T. in 1982 and Jurassic Park in 1993,” said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures. “No filmmaker, it’s fair to say, has had a greater or more enduring impact on American cinema or has created more indelible cinematic memories for tens of billions of people worldwide. We couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate the anniversary of E.T. and the first Universal-Spielberg summer blockbuster, Jaws, than to allow audiences to experience these films in a way they’ve never been able to before.”
“IMAX is thrilled to partner with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment to offer audiences the opportunity to experience these two iconic films in IMAX for the very first time,” said Megan Colligan, President of IMAX Entertainment. “Steven Spielberg redefined modern cinema and ushered in a new era of bold, swing-for-the-fences filmmaking, and the IMAX Experience has expanded around the world because of the trail blazed by films like E.T. and Jaws.”
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, originally released in the summer of 1982, not only soared to become the highest-grossing film of the year, capturing four Academy Awards® and nine Oscar® nominations including Best Picture, but it also captured the hearts of audiences around the globe. Four decades later, it still ignites the joy, wonder, discovery, magic and heartbreak of childhood.