Universal reversed field Tuesday, announcing just a week before the DVD release of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" that the original 1982 theatrical version will also be included on the lower-priced "limited collector's edition" DVD ($22.95).U said in June that the original version would be offered on DVD only as part of a $70 "ultimate collector's gift set" edition of this year's revised theatrical release.
"This is Steven's early holiday gift to the film's millions of fans," Universal Studios Home Video prexy Craig Kornblau said. "We received a huge response from fans who adore 'E.T.' and wanted to own both versions of the film but weren't planning to buy the ultimate collector's gift set."
The studio also claimed for the first time Tuesday that next week's release represents the first time that the true original theatrical release has ever been on any homevideo format because the word "terrorist" was cut from a scene previously.
