Stranded on Earth - by Max Evry (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

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, the in-depth chronicle of the extraordinary creative journey that transformed an abandoned science-fiction horror film into a cultural phenomenon.

Tracing 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 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 the untold stories behind the making, unmaking, and rebirth of one of Hollywood's most celebrated productions. Along the way, it 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 an engrossing work of film history and 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.

Review Quotes

"Max Evry's Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. dives headfirst down the rabbit hole, and doesn't look back. The book features brand-new interviews with a plethora of primary sources who were present for the development of both pictures, and ultimately serves as a fascinating and thoroughly exhaustive exploration into one of the greatest what-if stories to ever come out of Hollywood. Warts and all!"

-- SyFy

"For a sci-fi/horror movies that never was, Night Skies holds quite a story, and Stranded on Earth is here to tell it. [Author Max Evry] covers every aspect of the failed project, from creative to business. Overflowing with information, this hardcover tome is genre filmmaking geekdom at its finest."
-- Rue Morgue

"Hollywood is full of 'what if' scenarios--actors who famously turned down projects (like Will Smith and The Matrix) or directors who didn't get to make the movie they dreamed about (see: Jodorowsky's Dune). But sometimes, a scuttled project turns around and makes another one possible, and a cinematic classic emerges."
-- Gizmodo/io9

Acclaim for Max Evry's previous book A MASTERPIECE IN DISARRAY: DAVID LYNCH'S DUNE:

"Five stars. This hefty volume looks at the film in granular detail... It's hard to imagine a more definitive examination of such a singular and strange film."
-- SFX

"The (fittingly behemothian) oral history of David Lynch's doomed 1984 Dune. It's hugely enjoyable to sift through the sands of this comprehensive chronicle. 4/4 stars."
--Empire

"Disarray is an accounting of one of the wildest boondoggles ever committed to celluloid. The finished product was a legendary mess of a picture that threatened to undermine the director's career before it had achieved liftoff, but the behind-the-camera story is a pleasure to follow: Mr. Evry delivers the spoiled goods with aplomb."
-- The Wall Street Journal

"Wonderfully detailed...extensive new interviews with principals and players, stuffed to the gills with facts and figures and tasty gossip."
-- Kurt Loder (MTV, Rolling Stone)

"From the quality and quantity of interviews to organization and montage-style curation, A Masterpiece in Disarray is a model for oral history accounts of filmmaking."
-- Mise-en-Scène: The Journal of Film and Visual Narration

"A treasure trove for Dune and David Lynch aficionados. Author Max Evry spoke with dozens of actors and production personnel, and their conversations cover every possible aspect of the creative process, leaving no sandworm unturned."
-- Library Journal (starred review)

About the Author

As a film journalist, he has worked as a writer, interviewer, graphic designer, video creator, and managing editor for outlets including Wired, MTV, IGN, Box Office Pro, and Den of Geek. He has also contributed audio commentaries and featurettes for home video companies including Arrow, Kino Lorber, and Vinegar Syndrome, covering classic and contemporary films such as Foul Play, Blackhat, and the Best Picture Oscar winner Marty.