DC has revealed several new toys and collectibles that will be available for purchase at San Diego Comic-Con 2014. They include action figures of characters from Batman: Arkham Knight, Arrow, Flash, Batman: The Animated Series, and more. You can check them all out below! 

DC Collectibles, the exclusive line of collector items from DC Entertainment, announced today a slate of new statues and action figures leading up to Comic-Con International: San Diego. Timed to the convention, DC Collectibles will unveil a new action figure line based on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s upcoming videogame, Batman: Arkham Knight, all-new action figures based on Warner Bros. Television series’ Arrow (returns Wednesday, October 8th at 8/7c on The CW) and The Flash (premieres Tuesday, October 7th at 8/7c on The CW); and new action figures from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, among others. The new products will be highlighted during the DC Collectibles official panel on Thursday, July 24 from 10:00 – 11:00am PT in room 9.

Additionally, DC Collectibles will offer one “Con Exclusive” to be sold at Diamond retailer booths during the convention. This year, pick up a full color, limited edition Batman: Arkham City Harley Quinn statue available for $124.95, standing approximately 9.25” tall.

DC Collectibles products that will be unveiled at Comic-Con International: San Diego includes:

Batman: Arkham Knight action figures: Batman, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, Arkham Knight
Batman: The Animated Series / The New Batman Adventures action figures (wave three) The Creeper, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Robin
The Flash action figure based on the Warner Bros. TV show on The CW
Arrow action figures: Arrow (version one), Arrow (version two), Canary, Deathstroke, Dark Archer based on the Warner Bros. TV show on The CW
Scribblenauts Unmasked figures (wave five and six)
Designer Series Greg Capullo action figure (wave three)
DC Comics Bombshells statues of Mera and Hawkgirl
Man of Steel statue, art from Gary Frank
Batman Black and White statues, art from Francis Manapul and Dave Johnson
Wonder Woman Art of War statues, art from Cliff Chiang and Tony Daniel

To view these new products and DC Collectibles entire line of toys and collector items visit DC Entertainment’s booth #1915. DC Collectibles products are available in comic book shops everywhere and online at www.shopdcentertainment.com.

Maleficent co-star Elle Fanning has been cast in the lead role in the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman's short story How to Talk to Girls at Parties. The movie will be directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole).

The story was published in 2006, and it follows "two teen boys who go to a party in 1970s London. While one has no trouble scoring a girl right off the bat, the shy one is left to fend for himself and has to find a way to make conversation. He soon finds out that the girls at the party are more than they seem."

According to THR, the script that was written by Philippa Goslett and Mitchell "turns Parties into more of a two-hander love story focusing on a schoolboy and ‎punk who uses music and art as a way to escape and a female alien tourist (Fanning) who wants to escape her tour group and explore the most dangerous place in the galaxy, the London suburb of Croydon."

I love reading Gaiman's work, but this is one that I haven't read. It sounds like it has some great potential though. Fanning is one hell of a talented young actress, and this seems like a great fit for her. This is definitely a different film project than anything Mitchell has worked on before, so it will be interesting to see what his adaptation will look like.

Here's a piece of great mashup art that reimagines the Marvel comics villain Galactus had he been designed by H.G. Giger. The design was created by Axel Medellin for CBR's The Line is Drawn, and the result makes the character look even more terrifying. 

Photo by Barry Brown Comic-Con

Comic-Con International has released the schedule for Sunday July 27th. This is the last day of Comic-Con, and they will be closing it out with some big TV panels like Supernatural, Sons of Anarchy and The Strain. There's also a panel for the Batkid documentary that was made. I rarely stay for the whole convention on Sunday,  but I think I actually might try to stick around this year and enjoy myself. You can go through the full schedule here, but you'll find some of the highlights listed below. 

Supernatural Special Video Presentation and Q&A - Series stars Jared Padalecki (Friday the 13th [2009]), Jensen Ackles (My Bloody Valentine 3D), Misha Collins (Ringer), and Mark A. Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica), along with executive producer Jeremy Carver (U.S. version of Being Human), return to Hall H to answer questions from the audience about what's in store for the tenth season of this exciting series, including their upcoming 200th episode! Fans will also be treated to an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights, as well as a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season DVD and Blu-ray release on September 9. The tenth season of Supernaturalwill premiere this fall in its Tuesday time period at 9/8c on The CW. The series is produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Sunday July 27, 2014 10:00am - 11:00am 

Hall H

Batkid: The Film - Dana Nachman (documentary filmmaker, KTF Films) unveils her latest project Batkid: The Film, which chronicles the making of the overnight international phenomenon that is Batkid. The panel features Patricia Wilson (CEO of Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area and mastermind behind Batkid), Eric Johnston (Batkid's adult Batman sidekick and inventor), Mike Jutan (Batkid's nemesis, The Penguin, and Lucasfilm engineer), and Sue Graham Johnston (The Damsel in Distress and VP of operations, Oracle). Join this dynamic team for a Q&A session moderated by Chris Taylor (deputy editor, Mashable).

Sunday July 27, 2014 10:30am - 11:30am 

Room 8

Marvel: Women of Marvel - From Ms. Marvel to Black Widow, from Twitter to tumblr, women in comics has been one of the most talked-about topics in the industry recently. Join the conversation as women from every discipline in the creative process at Marvel discuss what it's like working as a woman in comics today and what it means for the future of the industry. Panelists include producer and photographer Judy Stephens, Marvel's The Watcherhost Lorraine Cink, Marvel Studios asset manager Alexis Auditore, artist Katie Cook(All-New Marvel NOW! Animal Variants) artist Rachelle Rosenberg (Amazing X-Men), and special guest editor-in-chief Axel Alonso!

Sunday July 27, 2014 11:15am - 12:15pm 

Room 5AB

The Following Special Video Presentation and Q&A - Hit thriller The Following returns to Comic-Con for a third year. Series stars Kevin Bacon (Mystic River), Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand), Sam Underwood(Dexter), and Jessica Stroup (90210) will join creator/executive producer Kevin Williamson (Scream) and executive producer Marcos Siega (The Vampire Diaries) for an on-stage Q&A and video presentation. With Joe Carroll once again behind bars, Lily Gray shot in cold blood by Mike Weston, and Luke dead at the hands of Max Hardy, Ryan Hardy's conviction to forge a new life will be put to the test in the psychologically intense third season, when a new villain emerges from the shadows, proving to be even more insidious and dangerous than his former archenemy, Joe Carroll. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television, The Following's third season premieres midseason on FOX.

Sunday July 27, 2014 11:15am - 12:15pm 

Hall H

Teen Titans Go! Video Presentation and Q&A - Titans Whaaat?? If you want to experience the liveliest panel at Comic-Con...Go! here. If throwing a meatball party with your friends or singing a song about waffles sounds like a good time . . . Go! here. If you want to find out what's in store for Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven then you definitely want to GO!...here. The Teen Titans are back at it again with all new comedic adventures both in and out of Titans Tower. Be treated to a screening of a new episode, followed by a Q&A with producers Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and The Bold) and Aaron Horvath(MAD) and members of the voice cast. But that's not all! Making a special appearance will be Puffy AmiYumi, the Japanese pop duo responsible for the iconic theme song from the original Teen Titans series. Teen Titans Go! airs Thursdays at 6/5c on Cartoon Network.

Sunday July 27, 2014 11:45am - 12:45pm 

Room 6BCF

Sons of Anarchy - Get an inside look into the final season of FX's highest-rated series ever, with creatorKurt Sutter (The Shield), executive producer/director Paris Barclay (NYPD Blue), and the full cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie, Jimmy Smits, David Labrava, Niko Nicotera, andDrea de Matteo.

Sunday July 27, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm 

Hall H

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games present an inside look at LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, its upcoming, multiplatform game. Produced by the creative geniuses of TT Games, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham puts Batman, Superman, and the heroes of DC Comics in an out-of-this-world adventure to various Lantern worlds battling Brainiac and some of the universe's most cunning villains. More than 150 characters with amazing powers and abilities provide a whole new twist on the popular action-adventure game. Be among the first to see a Comic-Con exclusive game-play demonstrations and character reveals, receive exciting prizes and giveaways, and witness a true blockbuster announcement. Panelists include TT Games game director Arthur Parsons and executive producerPhill Ring, as well as several members of the stellar voice cast, many of whom are reprising their roles in the famous franchise, including Troy Baker (Batman: Arkham Origins ), Travis Willingham (LEGO Batman: The Movie: DC Super Heroes Unite!), Laura Bailey (Batman: Arkham Origins), Dee Bradley Baker (Phineas and Ferb), Josh Keaton(Green Lantern: The Animated Series)-and special guest star Adam West! LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will be available in the fall.

Sunday July 27, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm 

Room 6BCF

The Strain - Get a sneak peek at the third episode of FX's brand new series, The Strain. In episode 3, "Gone Smooth," Eph and Nora fight to save Captain Redfern's life before coming face-to-face with the horrifying effects of the virus. A spike in rat attacks signals Fet that something inexplicable is happening deep below the city. Released from jail, Setrakian begins his own merciless plan to stop the spread of the disease. Written by Chuck Hogan; directed by David Semel. After the screening, join series creatorsGuillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) and Chuck Hogan and showrunner Carlton Cuse(Lost) along with the cast members Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Miguel Gomez, Ben Hyland, and Jack Kesey.

Sunday July 27, 2014 1:45pm - 3:45pm 

Hall H

Buffy the Musical: Once More with Feeling - Let's end this show with a bang! The powers that be behind Whedonopolis.com, FandomCharities.org and Fandomopolis.org present an interactive screening of theBuffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode Once More with Feeling as Comic-Con's big closing event! Many say this is the finest, funniest, most ingenious episode ever to come out of the Buffyverse. But remember, the best part of the show is up to you! This episode was made for talkin'-back, that is-and singing and shouting and dancing in the aisles, with or without your dry cleaning! Audience participation: it isn't just for Rocky Horror and mob riots anymore. Special surprise guest joining the fun.

Sunday July 27, 2014 3:30pm - 5:00pm 

Room 6BCF

The BBC has released a fantastic full trailer for Doctor Who season 8, and The Doctor looks like he has some crazy spectacular adventures ahead of him! This seems like it's going to be a fantastically entertaining season that fans are going to have a fun time watching. They packed a lot of awesomeness into this eighth season, and I can't wait to watch the stories unfold. The series is set to return on August 23rd! Enjoy the trailer!

At Comic-Con in 2010 director Guillermo del Toro announced that he would be developing a new live-action adaptation of the classic Disney ride, The Haunted Mansion. This is a project a lot of fans have been incredibly excited about. There have been a few updates here and there over the years, but it's still in the scriptwriting phase of development. During a recent AMA on Reddit the filmmaker offered an update on the project and revealed where it currently stands.

"[T]wo weeks ago, I went back to Disneyland with the executives with whom I am developing the screenplay," says del Toro. "It's a hard screenplay to crack. We've done it a few times. We are on our third or fourth draft, with 2 different writing teams, and I think the main thing is to try to combine everything that is great about the ride into the movie, and to make it a really intense but with a sense of fun - just like the ride."

As of right now Del Toro is attached as the writer and producer, but he's not ruling out the possibility of directing.

"It is a movie I would love to direct, but I would be happy to just produce it if the timing is not right."

I hope the Del Toro can direct it, but if he can't I hope he brings on a great director to take the reins. The story they are developing is said to be built around the Hatbox Ghost in the theme park attraction, and it seems like frequent collaborator Doug Jones is the frontrunner for the part.

"We have developed 50-60 pieces of art. We've developed maquettes of the Hat Box Ghost, over the body and face of Doug Jones, but we have not succeeded yet in cracking the screenplay. I have to believe that Disney will make this movie as soon as we crack the screenplay, but until then we cannot tackle it... We always feel like we are very close, but not yet."

Jones is the perfect actor to play the Hatbox Ghost, and I can't wait to see the designs Del Toro and his team came up with for the character.

Our friends at Sneaky Zebra have released their awesome cosplay video for FantasyCon. These guys sure are masters of their craft. There was a ton of amazing cosplay at this epic geek event, and the video gives you a solid idea of what this convention was like. I personally had a blast at FantasyCon, and I can't wait to do it again next year! Enjoy the video! 

Update: This teaser has been confirmed to be a fake. It's still a great fan-made teaser though! 

FX has premiered the first disturbing teaser trailer for American Horror Story: Freakshow. It's called "Fallen Angel," and it gives us a look at a young woman seemingly graced with angelic wings. Of course, the magic is taken away when you see that the wings are being operated by a creepy-ass clown! Yikes! This is going to be a sinister and dark chapter for the horror anthology series. 

The series stars Jessica Lange, Michael Chiklis, Sarah Paulson, Bates, Angela Bassett, Jamie Brewer, Denis O’Hare, Wes Bentley, and Frances Conroy. The story takes place in the 1950s and follows a traveling freakshow. My twisted mind can't wait to watch this! 

As part of Poster Posse's 75th anniversary Batman tribute project, artist Salvador Anguiano created this visual history of the various designs of the caped crusader that we've seen over the years. It features designs from comics, TV, movies, video games, and more. 

AMC has released two photos from their Breaking Bad spin off series, giving us out first look at Better Call Saul. The photos feature series stars Bob Odenkirk reprising his role as Saul and Michael McKean as Chuck. Co-creator Peter Gould confirmed that Chuck is Bob's brother and he says:

“We have these two comedy legends working together. He’s playing Saul’s brother. He’s one of the main characters we’ve introduced. He’s just a tremendous performer and he also answers questions about ‘Spinal Tap’.”

The series actors and the characters they play also include Rhea Seehorn as Kim, Patrick Fabian as Hamlin, and Michael Mando as Nacho. These characters will represent both legitimate and illegitimate sides of the law.

It was also confirmed in the press release that the series would be a prequel. This is interesting because Gould recently said that they would be working with a flexible timeline. That is still possible though. Maybe each season they do will be set in a different time period. Vince Gilligan said that the show takes place in 2002, and explained,

“It is period. We tried hard on Breaking Bad to try not to be too specific where it is.”

The show is currently in production in Albuquerque, NM. Gilligan directed the first of ten episodes of the first season. AMC has also already ordered a second season of 13 episodes.

Season one will premiere in 2015. 

Check out this hilarious trailer that mashes Disney princesses with the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. It was created by YouTube user Only Leigh, and it's called "Frozen is the New Black." Here's a short plot summary:

After Frozen ends, Frozen is the new black begins, as Elsa must serve time in princess prison for freezing the kingdom of Arendelle. 

I'm pretty confident that you're going to get a kick out of this mashup video.

Yes, you read that title right. Christopher Walken has been cast as the villainous Captain Hook in a new Peter Pan musical being developed by NBC! I've got to admit that I'm kind of shocked by this news. I never thought in million years that Walken would ever play a character like this, especially on a TV series. It's pretty damn awesome though! Walken is going to be amazing… as always. Here's what the actor had to say in a statement:

"I started my career in musicals and it’s wonderful after all this time, at this point in my career, to be in this classic musical I watched as a child and to work with Neil Meron and Craig Zadan again after Hairspray. It’s a chance to put on my tap shoes again."

NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt had this to say in a statement:

"He's one of the most unique actors in our business. He might really just be a song and dance man at heart. ... This might be the first tap dancing Captain Hook you've ever seen."

Wait… whaaaat?! That's going to be a sight to see. We know Walken has got some dance skills, but a tap dancing Captain Hook? That's going to be different. Greenblatt went on to reveal that they wanted to cast Kristen Bell as Peter but they were unable to work out timing due to her commitment to Showtime's House of Lies. The executive explains:

"We were talking about doing it with a man at one point, but we've had several women who wanted to do it and they're either busy or their schedules don't work. It's not like we can film this at any time; I need this person from Aug. 5-Dec. 5, so that knocks out the Kristen Bells of the world, who was somebody I talked to about doing it and she was interested but she's doing House of Lies. It's tricky finding the right person in the schedule that we need it but we're actually close. [Peter is] going to be female."

It makes sense that they would want a female to play Peter, as the character has always traditionally been played by a girl on stage. According to THR, "Based on James M. Barrie's revered book and musical, NBC's new take, which hails from Universal Television, comes after the network in 1955 staged a live broadcast of the Broadway production of Peter Pan that opened in 1954. The show, starring Tony winners Mary Martin and Cyril Richard drew 65 million viewers — the highest rating for a single night program at the time. NBC later broadcast the show live again in 1956 and 1960. It was also the first broadcast of a musical in color."

Executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron added:

"The exhilarating thing about doing these live musicals is giving the stage to a thrilling performer like Chris, and seeing his once-in-a-lifetime performance unfold at the same moment the audience is watching at home."

This Peter Pan production sounds like it will be a lot of fun to watch. Of course, I'll watch anything that Walken is in. 

Artist Jeff Victor created this humorous piece of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle art. It features the classic Ninja Turtle design that most of us love facing Michael Bay's version of the characters. Here's what the artist had to say about the new turtle designs and the illustration he made:

"A piece done for the "Heroes in a Half Shell" exhibit opening in 2 days at Gallery Nucleus. Maybe it's just me, but the over designed Michael Bay turtles have none of the charm and warmth of the originals, and that makes me kinda sad. I haven't seen the movie yet, but judging how much I hate the new Transformers movies, I doubt I'll enjoy this one.

"Griping aside, the 30th anniversary of the Turtles IS pretty exciting, and Nucleus has a great show to celebrate this historic milestone. If you're in the LA area, check it out! It looks amazing, and the roster of artists is incredible."

Pixar has released an image of one of the characters in their upcoming animated short Lava, which is a love story about two volcanos named Uku and Lele. The volcano you see above is the main character of the story, Uku. When talking about the character with the LA Times, director Jim Murphy said:

"I wanted to make Uku appealing and likable but also look like he’s been carved out of lava flows."

The movie also contains an original love song called "Lava," and Murphy hopes that it would give audiences the same feeling he had the first time he heard Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." 

The song is set to the story of a very lonely volcano who wishes he had "someone to lava."

Marvel released two extended TV spots for Guardians of the Galaxy featuring some exciting new footage. One of them puts the focus on Drax the Destroyer, the other on Peter Quill. Everything about this movie is going to kick so much ass!  The movie rockets into theaters on August 1st!

Via: CBM

A couple of fan made trailers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have surfaced that I thought I'd share with you. They're both actually really well done. One is made to look like a leaked bootleg copy of the rumored teaser that was described a few weeks ago. It's actually a really fun and well done attempt to fool fans. The other trailer uses footage from several other different films to bring this world that director Zack Snyder is building to life. 

Batman v Superman hasn't been announced as being officially part of San Diego Comic-Con, but I hope that Warner Bros. ends up surprising the fans and showing us some kind of footage from the film. Even if it's just a little bit. They've gotta give the fans something! 

An official synopsis has been released for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. This will be the last Middle-earth film ever to be released in theaters unless some kind of miracle happens! I recently watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug again, and it was even better than I remember. I can't wait to see this final chapter in the epic trilogy.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain.

As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

The movie marches into theaters on December 17th, 2014.

Here's an awesome character illustration featuring Michael Douglas as Hank Pym a.k.a. Ant-Man. The piece was created by DeviantArt artist CarlPearce, and it gives us a little glimpse of what could be. Douglas also recently showed up on David Letterman to talk about the movie and Comic-Con. When asked about the film he said:

"Yep, Ant-Man with Paul Rudd - wonderful actor- and I'm taking Dylan out to Comic-Con for the first time in my life. Which I hear is a scene and a half… I'm not a comic guy...a couple people in your staff know about it. I don't think it was one of your major [superhero] ones, but this is about an ant." 

When talking about comic-Con he says:

"They just say it is insane; they say it is completely insane. It's a little bit like a Halloween party...everyone gets dressed up as their favorite character; I'm not quite sure. But Marvel has a night and evening."

It will be cool to see what Marvel shows off at the Con this year. 

Via: CBM

The visitor's guide for Jurassic World has leaked online. The prop was handed out to several extras on the set of the film, and one of them decided to take pictures of it and throw it up on the web. 

Aside from showing the many sponsors for the park, it provides lots of interesting new details. Some of you might consider one of these little bits of info a SPOILER, so just in case you don't want to know anymore information, stop reading!

.

.

.

.

.

.

One fun little tidbit revealed is that Jimmy Fallon, host of the Tonight Show, will have a cameo in the film. Visitors will be greeted with an instructional video hosted by the comedian when they go through the Gyrosphere, which is an on-site instructional video. There's also a few other details on the types of attractions that are at the theme park. 

Via: CBM

Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was one of the very first movies that I ever saw in theaters. It was a magical movie going experience that I'll never forget. It has been 32 years since this movie was released, and there's so much about it that I didn't know until I put together this list of trivia for you to browse through. Here are 15 fun facts about E.T., some of which you might not know about.

• Steven Spielberg shot most of the film from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliot and E.T. With the exception of Elliot's mom, no adults' faces are shown until the last half of the film.
• Most of the full-body puppetry was performed by a 2' 10 tall stuntman, but the scenes in the kitchen were done using a 10-year old boy who was born without legs but was an expert on walking on his hands.
• The filmmakers had requested that M&M's be used to lure E.T., instead of Reese's Pieces. The Mars company had denied their request and so Reese's Pieces were used instead. As a direct result, Reese's Pieces sales skyrocketed. Because of this, more and more companies began requesting that their products be used in movies. Thus, product placement was born.
• ET's face was modeled after poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog.
• The end of the film was one of the most significant musical experiences for composer John Williams. After several attempts were made to match the score to the film, Steven Spielberg took the film off the screen and encouraged Williams to conduct the orchestra the way he would at a concert. He did, and Spielberg slightly re-edited the film to match the music, which is unusual since normally the music would be edited to match the film. The result was Williams winning the 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Score.
• According to the film's novelization, E.T. is over ten million years old. Steven Spielberg also stated in an interview that E.T. was a plant-like creature, and neither male or female.
• E.T.'s voice was provided by Pat Welsh, an elderly woman who lived in Marin County, California. Welsh smoked two packets of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator Ben Burtt liked. She spent nine-and-a-half hours recording her part, and was paid $380 by Burtt for her services. Burtt also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create E.T.'s "voice". These included Spielberg; Debra Winger; Burtt's sleeping wife, who had a cold; a burp from his USC film professor; as well as raccoons, sea otters and horses.
• Steven Spielberg's original concept was for a much darker movie in which a family was terrorized in their house by aliens. When Spielberg decided to go with a more benevolent alien, the family-in-jeopardy concept was recycled as Poltergeist (1982).
• Steven Spielberg worked simultaneously on both this film and Poltergeist (1982) in 1982 (which was directed by Tobe Hooper but produced by Spielberg), and both were made to complement each other. "E.T." represented suburban dreams, and "Poltergeist" represented suburban nightmares.
• Corey Feldman was originally scheduled for a role in E.T., but over the course of a script re-write, his part was eliminated. Steven Spielberg felt bad about the decision and promised Feldman a part in his next planned production which turned out to be Gremlins (1984).
• ET's communicator actually worked, and was constructed by Henry Feinberg, an expert in science and technology interpretation for the public.
• Harrison Ford was initially intended to have a cameo role in the film as Elliot's school headmaster, but the scene was cut.
• Steven Spielberg shot the film in chronological order to invoke a real response from the actors (mainly the children) when E.T. departed at the end. All emotional responses from that last scene are real.
• Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison came up with the concept of a sequel called "Nocturnal Fears", where Elliott and his friends are kidnapped by aliens and E.T. would help them out. E.T.'s name would be Zreck, and his species was at war with the other aliens.
• At the auditions, Henry Thomas thought about the day his dog died to express sadness. Director Steven Spielberg cried, and hired him on the spot.

Via: imdb.