Volkswacht Bodensee - E.T., no home: Original model of movie alien doesn't sell at auction

The piece, a little over a meter high and which had been estimated to fetch between $600,000 and $900,000, comes from the collection of Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi.

The three-time Oscar winner -- including one for "E.T." -- died in 2012 at the age of 86.

"I'm afraid E.T.'s model did not find a buyer during today's sale," a Sotheby's spokeswoman told AFP at the close of the online auction.

The model offered for sale is one of three used by Spielberg for his 1982 film.

"This model embodies the artistry of an era before CGI (computer-generated imagery) took hold, a nostalgic and iconic piece of Hollywood history as captivating as the stories themselves," Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby's said before the sale.

In 2022, a metallic automaton representing E.T. and also used during the shooting of the successful film was sold for $2.56 million at an auction organized by the American house Julien's.

L.Wyss--VB