The Story of Rick Baker’s Terrifying Alien Prototype That Evolved Into E.T. [Exclusive]

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.

That scenario is woven into the backstory of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it’s the subject of a new book by writer and film journalist Max Evry titled Stranded…