FOOD NEWS
The Candy That Almost Ended Up In E.T., And Why It Didn't
By Cynthia Anaya
There are many iconic segments in Steven Spielberg’s classic film “E.T.,” but candy lovers may specifically remember the scene with the trail of Reese's Pieces. What many fans don't know, though, is that Reese’s Pieces was not Spielberg’s first choice for the film — he originally wanted to use M&M’s.
Producer Kathleen Kennedy reached out to Mars, Inc. to request permission to use M&M’s in the film, but the company wanted to see the script first. This posed a problem for Spielberg, who wanted to keep the details of his alien film a secret from the public and only gave Mars, Inc. a limited proposal.
Mars, Inc. was worried about marring their reputation if the film bombed and therefore didn't reply right away, causing Spielberg to shift his focus to his second-favorite candy, Reese's Pieces. The request was granted, and sales of Reese’s Pieces increased by 65% two weeks after the film's debut.