Two Years of Planning: Iconic ET Scene Recreation

A photographer says he is "over the Moon" after recreating the famous scene from the Steven Spielberg movie ET in a photo that has been almost two years in the making.

Credit: Michael Meighan

Two Welsh buddies, Michael Meighan and his friend Nathan Edwards, have tried repeatedly to recreate the scene from the 1982 hit film, when Elliott's BMX - with ET riding in the basket - flies by the Moon. Happily, the planets finally aligned during the first full Moon of 2026 - a supermoon known as the Wolf Moon - when Edwards (a plasterer by trade) pushed his bike up a hill and into position on Eglwysilan Mountain in Wales.

Meanwhile, Meighan watched through his viewfinder from 1.4 miles (2.3km) away on a residential street in Treforest, Pontypridd, all the while staying in contact by phone. Unsurprisingly, attracting the attention of curious householders.

"They came out wondering what was happening when they saw a man with a huge camera lens next to their house," Meighan, 39, told BBC News. The care support worker showed them the scene through his camera with Edwards audibly "huffing and puffing" on the other end of the phone while pushing his bike in order to get into the perfect position.

Edwards had attached a plastic wash bowl complete with teddy bear wrapped in a blanket to the front of the bike to make it look like ET on it, as per the movie. He then stood and waited for his friend to get the shot - in perfect weather conditions - which they first began planning in 2024.

Afterwards, they shared a "huge embrace" and headed off to the local pub to celebrate.