Xfinity has released its Christmas commercial, encouraging people to reconnect for the holidays with their dear ones.
The 4-minute film features E.T., who – after 37 years – comes back to visit his friend, Elliott (played by a grown-up Henry Thomas) for the holidays and learns, during his stay, that Elliott now has a family of his own and that technology has completely changed on Earth since his last visit. The extraterrestrial creature, who has dinner with Elliott and his family, learns about the Internet and tablets, tries a virtual reality headset and watches holiday movies played by Elliott using voice-activated television remote. He also goes sliding with Elliott’s kids, but he misses his own family so, one night, he decides to return home. Found in the garage ready to leave with the boy’s bike, E.T. takes the kids, too, up to his ship before going back home, on his planet.
“Reconnect for the holidays” an onscreen line reads at the end of the commercial, which also features a picture of E.T. and Elliott’s family.
The song playing in the ad, when they all watch a Christmas-themed movie, is Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”.
Created in collaboration with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GSP), the holiday film is set to debut during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC in the US. In the UK, Sky is running the same film.