Unique relic model of Spielberg's ET fetches USD 2.56 m at auction

A mechanical model used as the ET character in the 1982 eponymously named Steven Spielberg film from 1982 was sold for USD 2.56 million in the US recently the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

The unique mechatronic model for Spielberg's famed ET or Extra-Terrestrial, was sold for USD 2.56 million, headlining a 1,300-lot sale of Hollywood relics, the WSJ said.

The "Hero No. 1" model for ET was created in 1981 by the late Carlo Rambaldi, an Italian-born special effects designer and mechatronics expert, WSJ said. He won three Academy Awards for best visual effects for films including King Kong (1977), Alien (1979), and ET.

The auction by Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies was held in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday (local time).

Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering, which integrates mechanical, electrical, electronic engineering, robotics, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.

Predating modern computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology and effects, the model "actor" features 85 points of movement that brought ET to life in the classic science fiction film, which held the record for the highest-grossing film for 11 years until Spielberg's own Jurassic Park surpassed it in 1993, according to WSJ.

Considered an engineering masterpiece, the article noted that the model was offered with an estimated value of between USD 2 million and USD 3 million. The final sale price was within the estimated range. The model, together with other photos, drawings, and memorabilia from Rambaldi's career, will be on exhibit at Cineteca Milano-Museo Interattivo del Cinema (MIC) in Milan, Italy, until January 2023, according to the WSJ article.

"This weekend was truly a career-defining chapter of our auction house's history with a marquee lineup curated with total consumer market of over 1,300 Hollywood props, artefacts, and memorabilia from the greatest films of all time," Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions, said in a statement.

( With inputs from ANI )

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