Steven Spielberg admitted his error in editing guns out of one of his most famous movies.
The acclaimed director expressed regret in replacing armed agents’ guns with walkie-talkies in the 2002 re-release of his 1982 Oscar-winning film “E.T.” Tuesday at the Time 100 Summit, according to New York Post.
“That was a mistake. That was a mistake,” Spielberg said. “I never should have done that because ‘E.T.’ was a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lens we now re, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through.”
The Hollywood Masterclass interview covered the idea of censorship, capturing Spielberg’s opinion on altering archives of artistic works. (RELATED: Legendary Director Steven Spielberg Says Tom Cruise ‘Saved Hollywood’s A**’)
“‘E.T.’ was a film that I was sensitive to the fact that the federal agents were approaching kids with firearms exposed and I thought I would change the guns into walkie-talkies….” Spielberg said. “Years went by and I changed my own views. I should have never messed with the archives of my own work, and I don’t recommend anyone do that.”
Spielberg attended CinemaCon Tuesday to present the upcoming remake of another one of his classic films, “The Color Purple,” with Oprah Winfrey, according to DailyMail.
He previously made public his remorse toward the politically correct edit of the twentieth anniversary version of ‘E.T.’ in 2011, according to DailyMail. At this time, he was promoting the thirtieth anniversary DVD release of the film, which includes both versions.
“I should have never messed with the archives of my own work, and I don’t recommend anyone do that.” Spielberg said. “All our movies are 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.”
‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ tells the story of an alien abandoned on Earth after U.S. government vehicles chase his group away. The alien befriends a protective 10-year-old boy who helps him find his way home.
Written by Melissa Mathison, the cast includes Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore.