The enigmatic teaser for ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’
Sony Pictures debuted a teaser video hinting at a potential re-release of Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, titled “This Means Something” a couple years back. It appeared to celebrate World UFO Day on July 2.
Since its debut, audiences have been speculating wildly as to what it could mean for the franchise, many claiming it could be either a sequel or a remake of the iconic film. The reality, however, is that it’s far more likely that Sony are working on a re-release to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind took the world by storm and ignited the imagination of a generation when it was originally released back in 1977. The film follows repairman Roy Neary, as he encounters a strange spacecraft during a routine call. Haunted by recurring visions of a mountain range, he is driven to an emotional breaking point.
Desperate to understand what he has witnessed, he teams up with Jillian, a single mother who believes her son has been abducted by aliens. In the midst of it all, an international group of scientists are on the verge of a breakthrough in human-alien communication.
Close Encounters, eventually becoming one of his most cherished films, had been in Spielberg’s mind even before he had started shooting Jaws in 1975. It wasn’t until he struck a deal with Columbia Pictures for a science-fiction film that he was given an opportunity to bring his dream to life. Made on a production budget of $20 million, Close Encounters of the Third Kind dominated at the box office, taking home more than $303.8 million in revenue.
Widely considered to be one of the best films about alien visitation ever produced, the movie later went on to receive eight nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Score. Its success has continued, with the United States Library of Congress inducting it into the National Film Registry for preservation in 2007.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind starred Richard Dreyfuss (American Graffiti, Stand by Me) in the lead, alongside François Truffaut (The Green Room), Melinda Dillon (A Christmas Story, Magnolia), Bob Balaban (Ghost World, The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Teri Garr (Young Frankenstein, Tootsie).
Assuming this is a re-release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and not a remake or a direct sequel, we expect to hear more about it soon. After all, the 40th anniversary of its release will be marked this November. Stay tuned for updates.
