Melissa
Mathison,
the
Oscar
nominated
and
the
1982
classic,
E.T
screenwriter
died
at
the
age
of
65
in
Los
Angeles.
The
screenwriter
and
associate
producer
for
many
movies
died
on
Wednesday,
November
5,
2015,
due
to
illness.
Her
brother
Drick
confirmed.
Melissa
had
worked
on
many
other
children
novels
inspired
movies
besides
E.T.
Her
most
recent
work
was
for
Spielberg's
big
project,
The
BFG.
The
movie
is
in
production
currently
and
is
set
to
release
in
2016.
Melissa
was
also
an
Activist
for
Tibet
freedom.
The
American
screenwriter
was
Oscar
nominated
for
her
original
screenplay
for
the
all
time
classic
E.T:
Extra
Terrestrial.
She
worked
on
other
famous
movies
such
as,
'The
Blackstation',
'Kundun',
'The
Indian
in
the
Cupboard'
and
'Twiligh
Zone'.
Remembering
Melissa,
the
director
and
creator
of
E.T,
Spielberg
said,
"Melissa
had
a
heart
that
shined
with
generosity
and
love
and
burned
as
bright
as
the
heart
she
gave
E.T." The
movie
was
a
blockbuster
and
one
of
its
kind.
Once
in
an
interview,
Melissa
explained
on
the
DVD
edition
of
1982
E.T,
"I
would
write
for
four
or
five
days
in
my
little
office
in
Hollywood,
and
then
drive
out
to
Marina
Del
Rey
where
Steven
Spielberg
was
editing
in
a
little
apartment
on
the
beach."
Spielberg
said,
Melissa
presented
him
with
a
draft
of
107
pages
for
the
movie
E.T.
He
finished
reading
it
in
an
hour's
time
and
was
willing
to
shoot
the
right
next
day.
According
to
the
film-maker,
her
script
was
honest
and
very
close
to
the
heart.
Melissa
is
survived
by
her
two
children,
a
son
who
is
a
musician
and
a
daughter
who
is
an
actress.
She
had
both
her
children
with
the
ex-husband,
Harris
Ford.
The
couple
was
married
for
18
years.
They
filed
for
a
divorce
in
2001.
Ford
and
her
divorce
was
one
of
the
costliest
in
the
history
of
celebrity
marriage
splits.
There
was
no
prenup.
But,
in
2004,
Melissa
won
a
huge
amount
pay
out
from
her
ex-husband
Ford.
Supposedly
between
$85
Million
and
$118
Million.