ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti z, fˈɑːloʊɪŋ sˈʌtʃ sˈaɪəns fˈɪkʃən fˈɪlmz, ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ klˈoʊs ɛŋkˈaʊntɚz ʌvðə θˈɜːd kˈaɪnd, stˈɑːɹ wˈɔːɹz ænd sˈuːpɚmˌæn bɪkˌeɪm blˈɑːkbʌstɚz, ɪtˈæliən fˈɪlmeɪkɚz bɪɡˈæn ɪndʒˈɛktɪŋ sˈaɪəns fˈɪkʃən θˈiːmz ˌɪntʊ ðɛɹ fˈɪlmz.
In the late 1970s, following such science fiction films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars and Superman became blockbusters, Italian filmmakers began injecting science fiction themes into their films.