'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' Model from 1982 Spielberg Classic Sells for $2.5 Million at Auction

The original mechanical model from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has snagged a staggering sum.

The highly desirable film item (for those with very deep pockets) was part of the recent Julien's Auctions and TCM Presents: Icons and Idols Hollywood auction, going for a final bid of $2,560,000, according to the auction house.

The no. 1 "hero" used with the actors, the aluminum alloy skeletal model of E.T. was originally estimated by the auction house to fetch between $2 million and $4 million. Bidding opened at $500,000. The winner was not identified.

"Pre-dating modern CGI technology and effects, this one-of-a-kind cinematographic relic (constructed in 1981) features 85 points of movement and is regarded as an engineering masterpiece," the lot description reads.

Created by Italian special effects master Carlo Rambaldi, the filming model was operated by 12 professional animators, with movements including: facial expressions, nose, eyes, mouth, lids movement, neck movement, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chest and abdomen rotations, all via a combination of cables connected to electronic apparatus and mechanical elements.

The June 1982 Steven Spielberg-helmed film (starring Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore) about an alien who befriends a boy while stuck on Earth, received critical acclaim and was the top box office movie of that year.

During a October reunion with her costars Thomas, Robert MacNaughton and Dee Wallace on The Drew Barrymore Show, the host revealed that she thought her alien costar in E.T. (the model up for auction) was real when she starred in the Universal hit at 7 years old.

"I really loved him in such a profound way," Barrymore said of the model. "I would go and take lunch to him."