Steven Spielberg’s Biggest Regrets: The Two Movie Scenes He Wishes He Never Made
Steven Spielberg is often described as the greatest movie director of all time. His films have changed Hollywood and inspired generations of filmmakers.
But even someone like Spielberg admits he has made choices he wishes he could take back. In fact, he has spoken openly about two scenes in his career that still make him cringe.
The first regret goes back to his 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg himself has said that one particular scene should never have been made.
The inspiration for the movie came from a night he spent watching a meteor shower with his father. Spielberg once said, “If I ever get a chance to make a science fiction movie, I want those guys to come in peace.” That idea drove the story.
When the film was being rushed for release, Spielberg wasn’t completely happy with the version that came out. Because it was such a big success, Columbia Pictures later gave him the chance to re-edit it. But there was a catch.
He explained, “We’ll give you the money… if you show the inside of the mothership. Give us something we can hang a campaign on.”
Spielberg agreed, and Richard Dreyfuss was filmed walking inside the alien ship. Looking back, Spielberg said it was the wrong decision. “I never should have done [that], because that should have always been kept a mystery, the inside of that ship.”
For a director known for his use of mystery and suggestion, like in Jaws, where the shark is barely shown, this choice went against his instincts. Spielberg later admitted, “I should have never messed with the archives of my own work, and I don’t recommend anyone do that.”
His second regret came years later with another alien movie, one that became even more famous: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Two decades later, in 2002, Spielberg decided to bring E.T. back to theaters for its 20th anniversary. But this time, he made changes. In the new version, the guns carried by government agents were digitally replaced with walkie-talkies. Spielberg thought it might make the movie feel safer for modern audiences.
The reaction was mixed. Some people didn’t mind, but others felt the change was unnecessary. Looking back now, Spielberg agrees with the critics. At a Time 100 summit, he admitted, “That was a mistake. I never should have done that. ET is a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through.”
He also reflected on why altering old films can be a bad idea. “All our movies are a kind of a signpost of where we were when we made them, what the world was like and what the world was receiving when we got those stories out there. So I really regret having that out there.”
What ties both regrets together is the same problem: Spielberg let outside pressure influence his creative choices. In one case, it was the studio pushing him for something more marketable. In the other, it was the cultural pressure to make a family movie seem less dangerous.
Even with these missteps, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. are still celebrated as two of his greatest works. They remain powerful examples of Spielberg’s ability to mix wonder, humanity, and spectacle. But for him, those small changes are reminders that sometimes the best move is to trust your own instincts and leave the past alone.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
