Revising a great sci-fi movie classic like E.T. the Extra-terrestrial to fit into the world of modern movies is a questionable tactic at best. After all, some elements age better than others. Yet when it came time to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary in 2002, director Steven Spielberg attempted just that by editing the guns out of the iconic bike chase scene. Decades after that version of the movie came to pass, Spielberg admits that even that tiny tweak was the wrong move.
The legendary director made remarks on the matter (via Deadline) during the recent Time’s 100 Summit. Talking about the infamous change that swapped guns for walkie talkies in E.T.’s 20th anniversary re-issue, Steven Spielberg made the following admission about that previous call:
That was a mistake. I never should have done that. E.T. 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.
The scene in question sees Elliot (Henry Thomas) and his friends trying to get the movie's titular alien into the woods. Just as their group of bikes are about to encounter armed federal agents, E.T. use its powers to lift them all into the air.
Now picture that scene, but instead of holding guns, the agents are now holding walkie talkies in their hands. Or, instead of picturing it in your mind, watch this comparison video someone made between the 1982 cut and the 2002 re-issue:
In a more contemporary 2002 lens, the helmer behind such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and the recent remake of West Side Story was criticized pretty heavily for this digital retouching. This change notably arrived after George Lucas' “Special Edition” releases of the first three Star Wars movies, which were heavily tweaked. In fans' eyes, it looked as though another respected legend of movie magic had succumbed to the temptation of CGI. (Coincidentally, one of South Park’s best episodes -- Season 6’s “Free Hat” -- was dedicated to mocking these decisions.)
With so much time having passed since E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial’s 20th anniversary enhancements, some may have forgotten why Steven Spielberg had made those changes in the first place. While revisiting that part of the story, Steven Spielberg reiterated that he should have never made those changes in the first place:
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… 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.
Henry Thomas Talks That Proposed E.T. Sequel, And Why It Never Happened
This is a movie that has an extensive history of wild changes that affected its fate. Steven Spielberg altered the originally scripted ending to close the story out on the emotional high note of Elliot seeing E.T. flying home with his family. And let’s not forget, E.T. started its life as an alien horror film called Night Skies, which was way more horrific than the cute and cuddly project fans eventually knew and loved.
The big difference with those alterations is that they were natural choices and not an attempt to modernize or future proof a classic for posterity. It’s a lesson that seems to have taken hold, as the 20th anniversary version of E.T. the Extra-terrestrial has never been offered again, falling out of circulation for all future re-issues. Star Wars has even taken a page out of Steven Spielberg’s book, as the sequel trilogy will never get a Special Edition, no matter how much people want to see a different version of The Rise of Skywalker.
For better or worse, the world will never see E.T’s modern edit widely available ever again, and Steven Spielberg’s reasoning as to why is solid. So if you rent or buy E.T. the Extra-terrestrial wherever you happen to purchase your movie selections, rest assured that the classic 1982 version will always be available.
