Get ready for a Steven Spielberg summer—two of the director's classic blockbusters will be returning to the big screen this summer, Collider reports. In a partnership with Universal Pictures, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jaws will both make their IMAX debut later this year; E.T. will be released exclusively on IMAX screens starting August 12, while Jaws swims into theaters on IMAX and RealD 3D on September 2.
"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," Megan Colligan, President of IMAX Entertainment, said in a statement. "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."
Jim Orr, President of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures, added "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."
The Rereleases Come in Time for 40th Anniversary of E.T.
Originally released in 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial quickly became a classic. A heartwarming tale of a gentle alien stranded on earth and befriended by a ten-year-old boy, the family-friendly flick took home the Oscars for Best Sound, Best Effects (Visual), Best Effects (Sound Editing), and Best Original Score in 1983. The film, which also launched a then-child actress Drew Barrymore into the spotlight, was the highest-grossing movie of the 1980s.
Spielberg's 1975 aquatic thriller Jaws broke records in its own right. The film, which held the title of highest-grossing film until it was dethroned by Star Wars in 1977, terrified audiences everywhere with a killer shark off the New England coast. The Oscar-winning film has also been added to the Library of Congress as a piece of "culturally, historically, or esthetically" significant media.
"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," Jim Orr said of the rereleases. "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."
Fans can catch E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in IMAX beginning August 12, and sink their teeth into Jaws in IMAX and RealD 3D beginning September 2.