Why A Classic Steven Spielberg Sci-Fi Movie Was Banned In Scandinavia

He's one of the greatest storytellers in movie history (and one of the only few to defend "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones") but when Steven Spielberg introduced the world to "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" and his attempt to phone home, Scandinavia wasn't willing to transfer the call. In 1982, E.T. and his glowing finger were taking over the world, one briefly broken heart at a time. Scandinavia, however, had put restrictions on children under 10 years old sitting down to watch the charming story about a boy and his otherworldly pal.

It's nothing new for some films being banned overseas, as "Akira" got the same treatment in Russia. in the case of "E.T," though, a 1983 UPI report, the film portrayed adults negatively, especially regarding the alien's brief death. Spielberg himself pushed back against the review, saying he wanted the age restriction lowered to 7 instead of 10. Instead, the Council of Children's Films hit back with a final statement on the matter, saying "The council's opinion is that the film 'E.T.' may cause mental injuries to children aged over 7 but under 11 years."

The then censorship director, Gunnel Arrback, explained, "A large part of the film is set in a threatening and frightening mood, which makes it unfit for 7-8 year old children." The decision prompted children to protest outside theaters. But while Spielberg tried to argue his case for the film, it would be years before the director himself made changes to the movie's adult characters, sparking criticism for doing so.

Given just how impactful "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" was for not just science fiction but cinema as a whole, there really doesn't seem to be much point in applying any alterations to it. Nevertheless, in the 20th-anniversary re-release of the film, Spielberg added noticeable tweaks to the third act that he eventually regretted.

During the high-paced escape from the shady FBI agents, Elliot (Henry Thomas), along with his earth-based pals and ET, take to the skies to avoid capture. In the original film, swarms of shady-looking agents try to block their path, even going as far as wielding guns before the kids take off into the sky, thanks to the alien's input. In the 20th-anniversary iteration, however, Spielberg decided to swap the weapons for walkie-talkies, so as to lower the threat level our heroes faced. The result led to the G-Men looking like they were awkwardly holding radios in the sequence, which fans quickly noticed. After the film's touch-up, Spielberg himself confessed it wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"That was a mistake. I never should have done that," he told Time in 2023 (via Variety). "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," Spielberg confessed. "So I really regret having that out there." See, even legendary directors make mistakes.