Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg disagrees with remaking old films and rewriting books to appease modern audiences.

The 76-year-old director admitted that he regrets updating his classic film, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” in 2002, twenty years after it debuted in theaters in 1982.

The movie’s original cut includes a scene of police officers chasing young kids with firearms. Spielberg chose to edit the guns out for the 20th-anniversary release of the film, replacing the weapons with walkie-talkies.

“That was a mistake. That was a mistake,” Spielberg said at the Time 100 Summit Tuesday. “I never should have done that because ‘E.T.’ was 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 said.

“‘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,” Spielberg told the audience.

“I should never have messed with the archive of my own work, and I don’t recommend anybody really do that,” he said. “All our movies are a kind of measuring – 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.”

The conversation led to Spielberg expressing his disagreement about editing Roald Dahl’s books to remove “offensive” language.

“Nobody should ever attempt to take the chocolate out of Willy Wonka! Ever! And they shouldn’t take the chocolate or the vanilla, or any other flavor out of anything that has been written,” he said. “For me, it is sacrosanct. It’s our history, it’s our cultural heritage. I do not believe in censorship in that way.”

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It was announced in February that several of Dahl’s books would be updated. The Roald Dahl Story Co. acknowledged it had worked with Inclusive Minds, which monitors children’s literature for inclusion, diversity, and accessibility, as The Daily Wire previously reported.

In March, “Goosebumps” series author R.L. Stine said he never approved apparent changes that were made to some of his children’s books, which Scholastic said was done in service of mental health. 

“When re-issuing titles several years ago, Scholastic reviewed the text to keep the language current and avoid imagery that could negatively impact a young person’s view of themselves today, with a particular focus on mental health,” Scholastic said in a statement. 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg mocked Republicans who are concerned about men playing in women’s sports, arguing that their focus on the issue is “getting in the way” of repairing bridges and increasing transportation safety.

Buttigieg was interviewed by The Daily Show’s Desi Lydic, who asked, “Why do you think some Republicans are stalling on this? Is it because they’re too busy focused on starting culture wars?

“Well, I do think that the culture wars are getting in the way sometimes,” Buttigieg answered. “I mean, just the other day I was testifying in the appropriations subcommittee explaining how our budget was going to help with things like railroad safety, air traffic control, and other transportation needs, and we had to take a break so they could all go and vote on a bill to kick transgender teenagers off of sports teams.”

“That was the priority for the House GOP that day,” Buttigieg declared. “So these things really are getting in the way of our ability to get work done. We’re literally building bridges, and they are literally banning books.”

Secy. @PeteButtigieg tells the Daily Show: House Republicans' bill restricting transgender participation in women's sports is "really getting in the way of our ability to" repair bridges & railroads.

"We are literally building bridges, and they are literally banning books.” pic.twitter.com/oAOOaBvJXg

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 26, 2023

Buttigieg’s performance as transportation secretary has elicited harsh criticism from members of Congress.

“What in the hell does Pete Buttigieg have to do to get fired?” Senator Ted Cruz said in the wake of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. “Like in the history of this country, has there ever been a transportation secretary who has screwed more things up? From in his first year in office, a supply chain crisis that impacted the entire country that made it hard to get basics and essentials?”

“The recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is nothing short of a tragedy,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) commented. “This is another transportation failure under Mayor Pete’s leadership. Where is he?”

During the supply chain crisis, Buttigieg took months of paid leave. He later vacationed in Portugal as a nationwide rail strike was imminent, and has also been criticized by Democratic officials for his alleged failure to prevent mass delays and cancellations at Southwest Airlines over the holidays.

Additionally, Buttigieg, an ardent proponent of reducing carbon emissions, had taken taxpayer-funded private jets rather than commercial planes at least 18 times since he was inaugurated into office, Fox News reported in December 2022.