At the most recent Julien’s Auctions and TCM Presents: Icons and Idols Hollywood auction, the original animatronic model used in ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ to bring big-eyed alien E.T. to life was purchased for an astounding amount.
The mechanical model, according to the auction house, sold for a staggering $2.5 million. And the starting price for the famous work by Italian master of special effects Carlo Rambaldi was $500,000.
The item is considered as an engineering marvel and was part of a two-day mega-sale that included over 1,300 props, including Chris Hemsworth’s Thor hammer and Robert DeNiro’s Raging Bull boxing gloves.
The filming model was operated by 12 professional animators and its movements, including facial expressions, nose, eyes, mouth, lids movement, neck movement, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chest and abdomen rotations, were controlled by a combination of cables connected to electronic apparatus and mechanical elements.
‘Pre-dating modern CGI technology and effects, this one-of-a-kind cinematographic relic (constructed in 1981) features 85 points of movement and is regarded as an engineering masterpiece,’ the description of the model reads.
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