Happy 74th Birthday, Steven Spielberg! Born today in 1946 as Steven Allan Spielberg, this American screenwriter, producer and director is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era and one of the most popular directors and producers in film history.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Spielberg's mother, Leah was a restaurateur and concert pianist, and his father, Arnold Spielberg, was an electrical engineer involved in the development of computers. His family was Orthodox Jewish.
Spielberg's paternal grandparents were Jewish-Ukrainian immigrants who settled in Cincinnati in the 1900s.
In 1950, Spielberg and his family moved to Haddon Township, New Jersey, when his father took a job with RCA.
Three years later, the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. While there, Spielberg attended Hebrew school from 1953 to 1957, in classes taught by leading American Conservative rabbi, scholar, and author Rabbi Albert L. Lewis.
At age twelve, Spielberg made his first home movie. This was a train wreck involving his toy Lionel trains.
In the late 1950s, Spielberg became a Boy Scout and fulfilled a requirement for the photography merit badge by making the 1958 eight-minute 8 mm American Western short film ‘The Last Gun’. Afterwards, he eventually attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
Spielberg had later used his father's movie camera to make amateur features, and began taking the camera along on every Scout trip.
At age thirteen, Spielberg made the forty-minute 1961 American war short film ‘Escape to Nowhere’ with a cast of school classmates. The film later won first prize in a statewide competition.
Throughout his early teens, and after entering high school, Spielberg made about fifteen or twenty 8 mm "adventure" films.
While in Phoenix, Spielberg watched films at the local theatre every Saturday.
Some of the films he cited as early influences included ‘Captains Courageous’ (1937), ‘Pinocchio’ (1940), ‘Godzilla, King of the Monsters!’ (1956), and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962), which he cited as "the film that set me on my journey".
In 1961, Spielberg attended Arcadia High School for three years. While there, he wrote and directed his first independent film. This was the 140-minute 1964 American sci-fi/thriller adventure film Firelight, which would later inspire ‘Close Encounters of The Third Kind' (1977).
'Firelight' was mainly funded by Spielberg’s father, which had a budget of $500, and was shown in a local theatre for one evening. While there, the film only made one dollar over its budget.
In the summer of 1964, Spielberg worked as an unpaid assistant at Universal Studios' editorial department.
His family later moved to Saratoga, California where he attended Saratoga High School, graduating in 1965. A year later, his parents divorced.
Afterwards, Spielberg moved to Los Angeles, California to stay with his father, while his three sisters and mother remained in Saratoga.
However, Spielberg was not interested in academics; he aspired to be only a filmmaker. He applied to the University of Southern California's film school but was turned down because of his mediocre grades.
In the late 1960s, Universal Studios gave Spielberg the opportunity to write and direct a short film for theatrical release. This was the twenty-six-minute, 35 mm American Technicolor short film ‘Amblin''.
Upon viewing, American lawyer and entertainment executive Sidney Sheinberg was impressed by the award-winning film, and offered Spielberg a seven-year directing contract.
One year later, Spielberg dropped out of college to begin directing television productions for Universal Studios. This made him the youngest director to be signed a long-term plan with a major Hollywood studio.
Two years later, the twenty-five-year-old Spielberg directed the first episode of the first season of the American mystery/crime drama series Colombo. This was "Murder by the Book", and was the only episode Spielberg directed for the show.
Based on the strength of his other television work afterwards, Universal Studios signed Spielberg to do four television films.
The most notable was the 1971 made-for-television American thriller/action film Duel. It had been adapted from American author and screenwriter Richard Matheson's short story of the same name.
The film told of a psychotic tanker truck driver (Carey Loftin) who chases terrified salesman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) down a highway.
Impressed with the film, executives decided to promote the film on television. Reviews were mainly positive, and Universal Studios asked Spielberg to shoot more scenes so that Duel could be released to international markets.
Several films followed soon after: Something Evil (1972), and Savage (1973). However, both features gained mixed reviews.
The following year after Savage, Spielberg directed his debut in a theatrical film. This was the 1974 American drama/crime film ‘The Sugarland Express’. It starred Goldie Hawn and William Atherton.
Based on a true story, the film would mark the first of many collaborations with American composer, conductor, pianist and trombonist John Williams; the director was impressed with his previous soundtracks.
'The Sugarland Express’ opened to four hundred theaters in the United States to positive reviews, and The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "a major new director is on the horizon."
Although the film was honored for Best Screenplay at the 27th Cannes Film Festival in May of that same year, it was not commercial success. Spielberg afterwards blamed Universal Studio’s inconsistent marketing for its poor box office results.
One year later, Spielberg directed the first film of which he is best known. This was the 1975 American horror/thriller film 'Jaws'.
It was based on American author, screenwriter, and ocean activist Peter Benchley's 1974 thriller horror nautical fiction novel of the same name.
'Jaws' was the prototypical summer blockbuster, regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history, and it won several awards for its music and editing. It was the highest-grossing film until the release of 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' in May 1977.
Both films were pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model, which pursues high box-office returns from action and adventure films with simple high-concept premises, released during the summer in thousands of theaters and heavily advertised.
'Jaws' truly cemented Spielberg's reputation as a rising star, causing him to become a household name as the film's director.
The film eventually gained popularity so much so that the origins of the term "blockbuster" was later used to describe a cinematic hit, as people literally lined up around theaters across America in anticipation of seeing the hottest hit of the summer.
On a budget of $9 million, 'Jaws' went on to gross $472 million at the box office. The film was later followed by three sequels, all of which neither Spielberg nor Benchley, and many imitative thrillers.
Two years later, Spielberg wrote and directed the third film of which he is best known. This was the 1977 American sci-fi/drama film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.
Aside from starring Richard Dreyfus, Melinda Dillon, and Teri Garr,it featured François Truffaut as Claude Lacombe, a French government scientist in charge of UFO-related activities in the United States.
In real life, Truffaut was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave.
His most notable films are 'The 400 Blows' (1959),'Shoot the Piano player' (1960), 'Jules and Jim' (1962), 'Day for Night' (1973), and 'The Last Metro' (1980).
Upon release, 'Close Encounters' was a critical and financial success. On a budget $19.4 million, the film grossed $306.1 million worldwide.
The title of the film is derived from American astronomer, professor, and ufologist J. Allen Hynek's classification of close encounters with extraterrestrials, in which the third kind denotes human observations of extraterrestrials or "animate beings".
American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor Douglas Trumbull served as the visual effects supervisor, while Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi designed the extraterrestrials.
Trumbull had also contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968), 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' (1979), 'Blade Runner' (1982) and 'The Tree of Life' (2011).
The film received numerous awards and nominations at the 50th Academy Awards, 32nd British Academy Film Awards, the 35th Golden Globe Awards and the 5th Saturn Awards, and has been widely acclaimed by the American Film Institute (AFI).
Four years later, Spielberg directed the third film of which he is best known. This was the 1981 American adventure/action film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.
The screenplay was written by Lawrence Kasdan ('Body Heat', 'The Big Chill', 'The Accidental Tourist') and the story was conceived by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman ('The Right Stuff').
Lucas had conceived 'Raiders' in the early 1970s. Seeking to modernize the serial films of the early 20th-century, he developed the idea further with Kaufman, who suggested the Ark as the film's goal.
Lucas eventually focused on developing his space opera 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope'.
Development on 'Raiders' resumed that year when Lucas shared the idea with Spielberg; he joined the project several months later.
While the pair had ideas for significant scenes in the film, they hired Kasdan to fill in the gaps between them.
On a budget of $20 million, 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' grossed $389.9 million at the box office It also received numerous award nominations and, among others, won five Academy Awards, seven Saturn Awards, and one BAFTA award.
In the years since its release, 'Raiders' has grown in esteem, and many now consider it to be among the greatest films of all time, one of the greatest films of the 1980s, and one of the greatest action-adventure films ever made.
It also has had a significant impact on popular culture; the film's success spawned a host of imitators across several media and inspired a variety of filmmakers. Today, it continues to influence modern media.
'Raiders of the Lost Ark' is the first film in what would become the Indiana Jones franchise, that includes three more films: 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984), 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989), and 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008).
This also includes a television series, video games, comic books, novels, theme park attractions, toys, board games, collectibles and an amateur remake.
The following year, Spielberg co-produced and directed the fourth film of which he is best known. This was the 1982 American sci-fi/family film 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'.
The concept for 'E.T.'was based on an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce.
In 1980, Spielberg met American film and television screenwriter and activist Melissa Mathison. Together, they both developed a new story from his failed project: the unproduced science fiction horror film 'Night Skies'.
Upon release, 'E.T.' was an immediate blockbuster, surpassing 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' to become the highest-grossing film of all time—a record it held for eleven years until 'Jurassic Park', another Spielberg-directed film, surpassed it.
On a budget of $10,5 million, 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' grossed $792.9 million at the box office.
'E.T.' was widely acclaimed by critics and is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, and it won four Oscars at the 55th Academy Awards: Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.
It was re-released in 1985, and again in 2002, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, with altered shots, visual effects, and additional scenes. The animatronics of E.T. were designed by Rambaldi.
Three years after 'E.T.', Spielberg co-produced and directed the fifth film of which he is best known. This was the 1985 American coming-of-age drama/historical drama film 'The Color Purple'.
The film was Spielberg's eighth feature as a director, and marked a turning point in his career as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known.
It was also the first feature film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music. Instead, it was composed by Quincy Jones, who co-produced the film as well.
The film starred Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Desreta Jackson, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Rae Dawn Chong, and Willard Pugh.
It also featured African-American actor, theatre director, dancer, and choreographer Adolph Caesar in one of his final film roles
‘The Color Purple’ was based on African-American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 epistolary domestic fiction novel of the same name.
Upon release, 'The Color Purple' was a box office success,On a budget of $15 million, the film grossed $142 million at the box office.
The film also received positive reviews from critics, receiving praise for its acting, direction, screenplay, musical score, and production values; but it was also criticized by some critics for being "over-sentimental" and "stereotypical".
Despite this, 'The Color Purple' was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Goldberg, Best Supporting Actress for both Avery and Winfrey, and Best Adapted Screenplay, without winning any.
It also received four Golden Globe Award nominations, with Whoopi Goldberg winning Best Actress in a Drama.
However, Spielberg did not receive an Academy Award nomination for his directing, but did receive a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, and a Golden Globe nomination.
'The Color Purple' film was later included in Roger Ebert's book series The Great Movies.
During this, as befitting his role as a major Hollywood player, Spielberg and his company, the now-established Amblin Entertainment, also produced a number of highly successful features,
The best known included 'Poltergeist' (1982). This was alongside Tobe Hooper (‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’).
The best known also included 'Back to the Future' (1985) and 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988). These were both alongside Robert Zemeckis (‘Forrest Gump’).
Five years after working on 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', Spielberg directed the sixth film of which he is best known. This was the 1993 American adventure/sci-fi film 'Jurassic Park'.
The film was based on American author and filmmaker Michael Crichton's 1990 hard science fiction horror fantasy techno-thriller fiction novel of the same name. The film was released in mid-June.
Aside from starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, it featured English actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur Richard Attenborough as Dr. John Hammond.
As an actor, he is best known for appearing in 'A Matter of Life and Death' (1946), and 'The Great Escape' (1963). As a filmmaker, he is best known for directing 'Gandhi' (1982).
Upon release, 'Jurassic Park’ went on to become the highest-grossing film of 1993 and the highest-grossing film ever at the time, a record held until the release of James Cameron's ‘Titanic’ (1997).
On a budget of $63 million, 'Jurassic Park' grossed a staggering $1.033 billion at the box office.
The film received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised its special effects, acting, John Williams' musical score, and Spielberg's direction.
'Jurassic Park' won more than twenty awards, including three Academy Awards for its technical achievements in visual effects and sound design.
Today, the film is considered a landmark in the development of computer-generated imagery and animatronic visual effects.
The film was followed by four commercially successful sequels: 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (1997), 'Jurassic Park III' (2001), 'Jurassic World' (2015), and 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' (2018), with a fifth sequel 'Jurassic World: Dominion', scheduled for a 2022 release.
Six months later, Spielberg co-produced and directed the seventh film of which he is best known.This was the three-hour 1993 American black and white/color war/drama film 'Schindler's List'.
It premiered on November 30 in Washington, D.C.and was released on December 15 in the United States.
It was based on Australian novelist, playwright, and essayist Thomas Kenally’s 1982 Booker Prize-winning biographical historical non-fiction novel Schindler’s Ark.
Ideas for a film about the Schindlerjuden (Schindler Jews) were proposed as early as 1963.
Polish-American Holocaust survivor Leopold “Poldek” Pfefferberg, one of the Schindlerjuden, made it his life's mission to tell Schindler's story.
Spielberg became interested when American lawyer and entertainment executive Sidney Sheinberg sent him a book review of Schindler's Ark.
Universal Pictures bought the rights to the novel, but Spielberg, unsure if he was ready to make a film about the Holocaust, tried to pass the project to several directors before deciding to direct it.
Both Spielberg and John Williams were too terrified to work in the film, as they though the subject was out of their league.
However, after no other director agreed, Steven took it and when Spielberg approached Williams to compose the music.
Williams was too moved and he said he needed a better composer, because the film was too powerful. Spielberg responded, "I know. But they're all dead!"
Principal photography took place in Kraków, Poland, over seventy-two days in 1993. Spielberg shot in black and white and approached the film as a documentary.
Polish cinematographer and director of film and television Janusz Kamiński wanted to create a sense of timelessness.
Williams composed the score, and Israeli-American violinist, conductor, and music teacher Itzhak Perlman performed the main theme.
Often listed among the greatest films ever made, ‘Schindler’s List’ received international acclaim from critics for its tone, Spielberg's direction, performances and atmosphere; it was also a box office success.
On a budget of $22 million, the film grossed $321.3 million at the box office.
The following year, 'Schindler's List' nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
In 1994, 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, being designated as "culturally, historically, ruty' (1999) and 'Gladiator' (2000).
Also, in 1994, DreamWorks was founded as a film studio by Spielberg, American film producer and media proprietor Jeffrey Katzenberg and American business magnate, producer, film studio executive, and philanthropist David Geffen (together, SKG).
Both Katzenberg and Geffen owned seventy-two percent of the company. It is now an American film production label of Amblin Partners.
The studio was formerly distributing its own and third-party films by itself. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each, two of which were 'American Beauty' (1999) and 'Gladiator' (2000).
On June 28, 1997, TV guide published their 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time list. They had ranked in "Murder by the Book" at #16.
Five years after 'Schindler's List', Spielberg co-produced and directed the eighth film of which he is best known. This was the epic 1998 American war/action film 'Saving Private Ryan'.
Spielberg, who at the time was forming DreamWorks, came on board to direct the project, and Tom Hanks joined the cast.
After the cast went through training supervised by American actor, technical advisor, radio personality, writer, and U.S. Marine veteran Dale Adam Dye Jr., the film's principal photography started in June 1997 and lasted two months.
Upon release, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ received acclaim from critics and audiences for its performances (particularly from Hanks), realism, cinematography, score, screenplay, and Spielberg's direction, and was placed on many film critics' 1998 top ten lists.
It was also a box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1998. On a budget of $70 million, the film grossed $482.3 million at the box office.
One year later, 'Saving Private Ryan' won several accolades. This included Best Picture and Director at the Golden Globes, Producers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, and Critics' Choice Awards.
The film was also nominated for eleven Academy Awards at the 71st Academy Awards, where it won five: Best Director (Spielberg's second), Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing.
However, 'Saving Private Ryan’ lost the Academy Award for Best Picture in a controversial Oscars upset.
This was to the 1998 American/British romantic period comedy-drama film ‘Shakespeare in Love'.
Since its release, 'Saving Private Ryan' has been considered one of the greatest films of all time and has been lauded as influential on the war film genre. It is credited for renewing interest in World War II media.
In 1999, the United States Library of Congress deemed 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" when they selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
In an interview with American Film Institute in August 2000, Spielberg commented on his interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and how it has influenced some of his films.
In 2001, 'Jaws' was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Also, that same year, Spielberg wrote, co-produced and directed the ninth film of which he is best known. This was the 2001 American sci-fi/drama film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence'.
Development of ‘A.I.’ originally began with Stanley Kubrick, after he acquired the rights to English writer and anthology editor Brian Aldiss' 1969 science fiction short story Supertoys Last All Summer in the early 1970s.
Kubrick hired a series of writers until the mid-1990s, including Aldiss, Robert “Bob” Shaw, British science fiction writer Ian Watson, and British writer of religious fantasy Sara Maitland.
However, ‘A.I.’ languished in protracted development for years, partly because Kubrick felt computer-generated imagery was not advanced enough to create the title character of David (Haley Joel Osment), whom he believed no child actor would convincingly portray.
In 1995, Kubrick handed ‘A.I.’ to Spielberg, but the film did not gain momentum until Kubrick's death on March 7, 1999.
Despite this, Spielberg remained close to Watson's film treatment for the screenplay.
Upon release, ‘A.I.’ received positive reviews, and grossed approximately $235.9 million against a $100 million budget.
The following year, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 74th Academy Awards, for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score (by John Williams). However, it didn’t win.
Later in 2002, Spielberg returned to Long Beach, California to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Film and Electronic Media.
In 2004, 'Schindler's List' was designated as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
In 2005, on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Quotes list, the line "E.T. phone home." ranked in at #15. The line "You're gonna need a bigger boat." ranked in at #35.
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked 'Schindler's List' 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time.
In December 2007, 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Four years later, Spielberg co-produced and directed the tenth film of which he is best known. This was the 2011 American war/drama film 'War Horse'.
It was based on English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist Michael Morpurgo's 1982 children's literature war story fiction novel of the same name.
It was based on British playwright and writer Nick Stafford’s 2007 stage adaptation of the same name as well.
Having directed many films set during World War II, it was Spielberg's first film to tackle the events of World War I.
Shot in England over sixty-three days, the production used 5,800 extras and three hundred horses.
Produced by DreamWorks Pictures and released worldwide by Touchstone Pictures, ‘War Horse’ became a box-office success and was met with positive reviews.
On a budget of $66–$70 million budget, the film grossed $177.6 million at the box office.
It was named one of the top ten best films of 2011 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review.
The following year, ‘War Horse’ was nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Picture), two Golden Globe Awards, and five BAFTAs.
One year later, Spielberg co-produced and directed the eleventh film of which he is best known.This was the 2012 American biographical historical war/drama film 'Lincoln'.
The screenplay for the film was loosely based on Pulitzer Prize-winning American biographer, historian, former sports journalist and political commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 biographical book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Upon release, ‘Lincoln’ received significant praise for the acting, especially Day-Lewis's performance, as well as Spielberg's direction and the production values.
In December 2012, the film was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director for Spielberg and winning Best Actor (Motion Picture – Drama) for Day-Lewis (his third win).
The following year at the 85th Academy Awards, ‘Lincoln’ was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, it won for Best Production Design and Best Actor for Day-Lewis.
The film was also a commercial success, grossing $275.3 million at the box office against a $65 million budget.
Later that same year, following its 3D re-release in 2013 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, 'Jurassic Park' became the seventeenth film in history to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales.
In 2014, 'Saving Private Ryan' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Later that same year, the director's cut of 'Close Encounters' was released the longest version of the film, combining Spielberg's favorite elements from both previous editions but removing the scenes inside the extraterrestrial mothership.
One year later, Spielberg co-produced and directed the twelfth and final film of which he is best known.
This was the 2015 American/German/Indian historical thriller/drama film 'Bridge of Spies'. It was shot under the title 'St. James Place'.
Upon release, ‘Bridge of Spies’ was a box office success, grossing $165.5 million worldwide against a $40 million budget.
It was also praised for its screenplay, Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance's performances, Spielberg's direction, Thomas Newman's musical score, and the production values.
The following year, ‘Bridge of Spies’ received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and won Best Supporting Actor for Rylance.
Later in 2016, a BBC poll of one hundred and seventy-seven critics from around the world voted 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' the eighty-third-greatest film since 2000. The film is dedicated to Kubrick.
On September 1, 2017, 'Close Encounters' was remastered in 4K and re-released in theaters for its 40th anniversary.
In 2018, 'Jurassic Park' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Among his credits of the 1980s, Spielberg is also known for directing 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984), 'Empire of the Sun' (1987), 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989), and 'Always' (1989).
'Always' was the final film role in which featured Audrey Hepburn before her passing four years later. This was on January 20, 1993. She was 63.
Among his credits of the 1990s, Spielberg is also known for directing 'Hook'(1991), 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (1997), and 'Amistad' (1997).
Among his credits of the 2000s, Spielberg is also known for directing 'Minority Report' (2002), 'Catch Me If You Can' (2002), 'The Terminal' (2004),'War of the Worlds' (2005),'Munich' (2005), and 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008).
Among his credits of the 2010s, Spielberg is known for directing 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn' (2011), 'The BFG' (2016), 'The Post' (2017), and 'Ready Player One' (2018).
Spielberg is currently co-producing and directing the upcoming American music/romance drama film ‘West Side Story’.
The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and American playwright, stage director and screenwriter Arthur Laurents, which is based loosely on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The film's screenplay is expected to hew more closely to the Broadway script than to the 1961 film adaptation of the same name directed by Robert Wise (‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, ‘The Haunting’, ‘The Sound of Music’) and Jerome Robbins.
The new film adaptation stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as the film's leads, alongside Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll and Brian d'Arcy James.
It also features Rita Moreno, a star of the original 1961 film, appearing not as Anita but in a supporting role as Valentina.
Produced by Amblin Entertainment, ‘West Side Story’ is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on December 10, 2021.
The trademarks of Spielberg's films often deal with several recurring themes.
Most of his films deal with ordinary characters searching for or coming in contact with extraordinary beings or finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Spielberg described himself as feeling like an alien during childhood, and his interest came from his father, a science fiction fan, and his opinion that aliens would not travel light years for conquest, but instead curiosity and sharing of knowledge.
A strong consistent theme in Spielberg's family-friendly work is a childlike sense of wonder and faith. Most of his films are also generally optimistic in nature.
Though some critics accuse his films of being a little overly sentimental, Spielberg feels it is fine as long as it is disguised.
Despite this, he is still a highly praised director as well as being credited as one of the most influential directors of all time. The influence comes from John Ford and Frank Capra.
The most commercially successful filmmaker in Hollywood history, Spielberg is one of the American film industry's most critically successful filmmakers. With praise for his directing talent and versatility, he has won the Academy Award for Best Director twice.
Some of his features are also among the highest-grossing movies of all-time, while his total work make him the highest-grossing film director in history. His net worth is estimated to be more than $3 billion.
Throughout Spielberg's career, his diverse films—which ranged from science fiction fare to historical dramas—have enjoyed both unprecedented popularity and critical success.
It is this iconic American filmmaker whose wide body of work is still thoroughly embraced by both mainstream audiences and critics throughout his long and prolific career.
Spielberg has been active from 1959–present.
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