Steven Spielberg, often hailed as the greatest director in film history, has shaped Hollywood with classics like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and Jurassic Park. Yet even with his unmatched legacy, Spielberg has been candid about a couple of decisions he still regrets.
The first came with Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, when Spielberg revealed the inside of the alien ship—a decision he later regretted. Inspired by a childhood night watching a meteor shower with his father, Spielberg wanted the film to capture the wonder and mystery of peaceful alien contact. After its release, Columbia Pictures allowed him to re-edit the movie but pushed him to add a sequence showing the inside of the alien mothership. Spielberg agreed, filming Richard Dreyfuss walking aboard. Looking back, he wishes he had resisted. Revealing the interior, he admitted, took away from the mystery that defined the film.
Decades later, Spielberg faced similar regret with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. For its 20th anniversary in 2002, he digitally altered a key scene, replacing federal agents’ guns with walkie-talkies. Hoping to make the film feel less threatening for young audiences, he instead drew criticism for softening its impact. Today, he calls the decision a mistake, stressing that films are products of their time and should remain untouched.
Together, these regrets reflect a larger lesson: even masters like Spielberg sometimes falter when external pressures outweigh instinct. Still, Close Encounters and E.T. endure as two of his most celebrated works—reminders of his genius, and of the importance of trusting creative vision.
