According to Riesner, producers at Columbia were concerned at the initial box office returns for E.T., because Starman (while Riesner was working its second rewrite) was too similar. Adrian Lyne worked with Douglas on the project, for about a year, before departing to direct Flashdance for Paramount. He was replaced by John Badham, who worked with Douglas for 'some months' (developing the project); Columbia actually gave them an October 1982 start-date to begin principal photography. In 1985 Badham acknowledged his initial enthusiasm for the script, "I wanted Tom Conti for the lead role [Badham had seen him in London doing “Whose Life Is It Anyway?"] and he was anxious to do it." But in the summer of 1982, Variety published the first review of E.T., as soon as he read it he realized the two projects were too similar. Douglas immediately ordered script revisions, but Badham eventually moved on to take over directing duties on WarGames. Riesner was charged with keeping Starman essentially the same while making it distinct from E.T, and would work with three subsequent directors: Tony Scott, Peter Hyams, and John Carpenter. Whereas Scott was more interested in style than narrative drive and wanted to cast Philip Anglim, and Hyams pushed for a more conventional science fiction approach, Carpenter, who was eager to shed his image as a maker of exploitative thrillers, wished to emphasize the cross-country rapport that develops between the two leads, as in The Defiant Ones, The 39 Steps, and It Happened One Night over special effects. Riesner dropped the "heavy political implications" from the script to comply with this.
according to riesner producers at columbia were concerned at the initial box office returns for et because starman (while riesner was working its second rewrite) was too similar adrian lyne worked with douglas on the project for about a year before departing to direct flashdance for paramount he was replaced by john badham who worked with douglas for 'some months' (developing the project); columbia actually gave them an october 1982 start-date to begin principal photography in 1985 badham acknowledged his initial enthusiasm for the script "i wanted tom conti for the lead role [badham had seen him in london doing “whose life is it anyway"] and he was anxious to do it" but in the summer of 1982 variety published the first review of et as soon as he read it he realized the two projects were too similar douglas immediately ordered script revisions but badham eventually moved on to take over directing duties on wargames riesner was charged with keeping starman essentially the same while making it distinct from et and would work with three subsequent directors tony scott peter hyams and john carpenter whereas scott was more interested in style than narrative drive and wanted to cast philip anglim and hyams pushed for a more conventional science fiction approach carpenter who was eager to shed his image as a maker of exploitative thrillers wished to emphasize the cross-country rapport that develops between the two leads as in the defiant ones the 39 steps and it happened one night over special effects riesner dropped the "heavy political implications" from the script to comply with this