Michael Jackson Helped Ease Racial Concerns Over E.T.
A new book chronicling the remarkable journey behind Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial reveals that Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor played an unexpected role in helping Universal Pictures assess how Black audiences might respond to the beloved 1982 film.
Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, written by film journalist Max Evry, features an interview with former Universal executive and producer Thom Mount, who recalls concerns within the studio about the movie’s lack of racial diversity.
With virtually the entire principal cast being white, Universal wanted to understand whether this might affect the film’s reception among Black audiences before its theatrical release.
According to Mount, Spielberg specifically wanted people of color to see the film and share their reactions. Mount therefore arranged a private screening and invited two major Black entertainers: comedian and actor Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson.
“Steven wanted some people of color to see it, to see what their response was,” Mount recalls in the book.
Mount had access to Pryor through Universal, where the comedian was under contract, and also reached out to Michael Jackson. The two stars were already connected professionally, having appeared together in The Wiz just four years earlier.
Their reaction reportedly put the studio’s concerns to rest.
“They had the advantage of both being Black, and they saw the movie and loved it, flipped out over it,” Mount says. “They were both crying.”
Their emotional response reassured Universal’s marketing team that the film could successfully connect with Black audiences despite its predominantly white cast.
Mount also hoped that having two influential entertainers see and endorse the movie would help generate positive word of mouth.
“I thought, ‘Now we have a couple of industry leaders who are people of color who can talk about having seen the movie,’” he explains.
Richard Pryor subsequently helped promote the film during late-night television appearances, talking about the movie and joking about its extraterrestrial storyline while making clear how deeply it had moved him. Mount believes that kind of enthusiastic reaction helped the film reach audiences beyond its immediate demographic.
Michael Jackson’s connection with E.T. would later become even more significant.
When Universal released John Williams’ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial soundtrack, Michael Jackson provided the narration for a special storybook album. His distinctive voice brought the story to life, and the recording became a major part of his relationship with the film.
In 1984, Michael Jackson won the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children for his work on the E.T. album. The award came at the same ceremony where he famously collected seven Grammys for Thriller.
While accepting the E.T. Grammy, Michael Jackson spoke warmly about the project and his admiration for children and their ability to inspire creativity.
The connection between Michael Jackson and E.T. therefore extends well beyond a simple Hollywood encounter. According to Mount’s recollections in Stranded on Earth, Jackson was among the prominent figures Universal turned to before the film’s release to help understand its potential reception among Black audiences. His enthusiastic response, alongside Pryor’s, helped reassure the studio that E.T. could speak to audiences across racial lines.
For Michael Jackson fans, the revelation provides another fascinating chapter in his long history of connections with major films and filmmakers, while also adding an unexpected detail to the story of one of cinema’s most beloved movies.
About Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is one of the most beloved films ever made—but its origins are far more surprising than most audiences realize.
Following his acclaimed bestseller A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune, author and film journalist Max Evry returns with Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, an in-depth chronicle of the extraordinary creative journey that transformed an abandoned science-fiction horror film into a cultural phenomenon.
The book traces Spielberg’s lifelong fascination with extraterrestrials, from his teenage feature Firelight through the groundbreaking success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Evry uncovers the remarkable story behind Night Skies, a dark alien invasion project inspired by alleged UFO encounters.
As the ambitious production unraveled amid creative disagreements and shifting studio priorities, Spielberg found the emotional story that would eventually become E.T.—a film that forever changed popular cinema.
Drawing on new interviews with Spielberg collaborators, actors, artists, effects technicians and other key insiders, Stranded on Earth reveals previously untold stories behind the making, unmaking and rebirth of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated productions.
The book also explores how the DNA of Night Skies survived in films including Poltergeist and Gremlins, influencing an entire generation of science-fiction and horror cinema.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 100 rare images and illustrations, Stranded on Earth is described as an essential companion for movie lovers, Spielberg fans, E.T. devotees and anyone fascinated by the creative process behind one of Hollywood’s most enduring cinematic achievements.
Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial will be released in English on October 27, 2026, published by 1984 Publishing. The book contains 422 pages and is priced at £21.99.
Max Evry has worked as a film journalist since 2005, writing and interviewing for outlets including MTV, /Film, IGN and Fangoria. He has also worked as a graphic designer, podcaster, video creator, features editor and managing editor, as well as providing Blu-ray commentaries and featurettes for home video companies including Arrow, Kino Lorber, Indicator and Via Vision. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two daughters.
“The E.T. Storybook”, box set long player is, Michael’s, greatest achievement!!! To this day it has never been released on c.d.! It desperately needs to be re-issued and ONLY as a box set the way it always was and was meant to be!!!!