Melissa Mathison, the pen behind E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and so many other projects, passed away last night in Los Angeles after a long battle with neuroendocrine cancer. She was 65 years old.
Mathison’s most recognized for her work on E.T., but she’s worked on numerous other projects. She adapted The Indian in the Cupboard for the screen, wrote the screenplay for The Escape Artist, The Black Stallion, and Kundun.
Author Sara Benincasa noted that Mathison was remembered in Variety’s news post as E.T.‘s screenwriter and Harrison Ford’s ex-wife.
SCREENWRITER MELISSA MATHISON, OSCAR-NOMINATED FOR E.T., DIES https://t.co/uzjlqg1Sv2 – see? I fixed it for you. RIP. She was so good.
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) November 4, 2015
If the trades run a headline after I die that talks about who my HUSBAND was 30 years ago Imma come the fuck back and haunt the offices.
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) November 4, 2015
Apparently, the ex-wife credit seems to take precedence over all the other projects she’s worked on. Ugh.
Before Mathison passed away, she was able to complete one more project, one that’s actually on a lot of people’s radars: The BFG, which I guess will now be her swan song. The upcoming movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl book is directed by Steven Spielberg, and is slated to come out next summer.
(via /Film)
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