De tienjarige Elliott woont samen met zijn moeder, broer en zusje in een bosrijke buitenwijk van Los Angeles. Op een dag ontdekt hij in de tuin een buitenaards wezentje. Elliott en het wezentje schrikken zich eerst te pletter, maar sluiten dan vriendschap. Elliott noemt het wezentje E.T. en verbergt het in een kast op zijn kamer. De jongen laat E.T. ook kennis maken met zijn broer en zijn zusje. E.T. raakt snel vertrouwd met het aardse leven. Toch heeft hij heimwee naar zijn planeet. Ondertussen begint de aardse atmosfeer zijn gezondheid aan te tasten. Ook Elliott voelt zich niet lekker. Hun band is immers zo hecht geworden dat ze dezelfde gevoelens ervaren.
Nee, helaas is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial nog niet beschikbaar op Netflix in Nederland.
| Directing | Steven Spielberg | Director |
| Production | Mike Fenton | Casting |
| Production | Marci Liroff | Casting |
| Art | Jackie Carr | Set Decoration |
| Art | Leslie Butcher | Art Department Coordinator |
| Visual Effects | Al Bailey | Visual Effects |
| Sound | Charles L. Campbell | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Crew | Glenn Randall Jr. | Stunt Coordinator |
| Crew | Carlo Rambaldi | Special Effects |
| Crew | Dale L. Martin | Special Effects |
| Sound | John Williams | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Carol Littleton | Editor |
| Art | James D. Bissell | Production Design |
| Writing | Melissa Mathison | Screenplay |
| Camera | Allen Daviau | Director of Photography |
| Production | Jane Feinberg | Casting |
| Production | Kathleen Kennedy | Producer |
| Production | Steven Spielberg | Producer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Robert Sidell | Makeup Artist |
| Crew | Richard E. Butler | Stunts |
| Visual Effects | Robert Elswit | Visual Effects Camera |
| Production | Jane Goe | Assistant Accountant |
| Directing | Katy Emde | First Assistant Director |
| Camera | Bruce McBroom | Still Photographer |
| Production | Frank Marshall | Production Supervisor |
| Directing | Daniel Attias | Second Assistant Director |
| Directing | Glenn Randall Jr. | Second Unit Director |
| Sound | Herbert W. Spencer | Orchestrator |
| Sound | Don Digirolamo | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Crew | Bobby Porter | Stunts |
| Directing | Esther Vivante | Script Supervisor |
| Art | William James Teegarden | Set Designer |
| Camera | Bob Muñoz | Best Boy Grip |
| Crew | Ted Grossman | Stunts |
| Sound | Nicholas Korda | ADR Editor |
| Crew | Felix Silla | Stunts |
| Sound | Louis L. Edemann | Sound Effects Editor |
| Sound | Hank Salerno | ADR Editor |
| Sound | Kenneth Hall | Music Editor |
| Crew | Fred Lerner | Stunts |
| Crew | John Feinblatt | Transportation Captain |
| Production | Melissa Mathison | Associate Producer |
| Production | Bonne Radford | Production Accountant |
| Editing | Robert Raring | Color Timer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Deborah L. Scott | Costumer |
| Editing | Dennis Brookins | Negative Cutter |
| Crew | Chuck Waters | Stunts |
| Art | Russell Goble | Property Master |
| Sound | Chuck Neely | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Camera | Donald L. Hartley | Dolly Grip |
| Sound | Robert 'Buzz' Knudson | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Lighting | James Plannette | Gaffer |
| Crew | Lyla Foggia | Unit Publicist |
| Editing | Donah Bassett | Negative Cutter |
| Crew | Bennie E. Dobbins | Stunts |
| Camera | Gene Kearney | Key Grip |
| Costume & Make-Up | Lola 'Skip' McNalley | Hairstylist |
| Editing | Kathleen Korth | First Assistant Editor |
| Sound | David Pettijohn | Sound Effects Editor |
| Sound | Richard C. Franklin | Sound Effects Editor |
| Sound | Robert Glass | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Sound | Gene S. Cantamessa | Sound Mixer |
| Sound | Samuel C. Crutcher | Sound Effects Editor |
| Crew | Ramon Pahoyo | Craft Service |
| Production | Richard Vane | Location Manager |
| Camera | Selwyn Eddy | Camera Operator |
| Visual Effects | Dennis Muren | Visual Effects Supervisor |
| Visual Effects | Carlo Rambaldi | Visual Effects |
