Steven Spielberg is responsible for some of the definitive genre movies in American cinema. He’s made the definitive shark movie with Jaws. He’s made the definitive adventure movie with Raiders of the Lost Ark. He’s made the definitive alien movie with E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He’s made the definitive war movie with Saving Private Ryan. He’s even made the definitive dinosaur movie with Jurassic Park.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, as the acclaimed director was brainstorming what his next project should be, he said, “I started seriously thinking, if I had to make one movie I haven’t made yet, something that I really want to do on a very personally atomic level, what would that be? And there was only one story I really wanted to tell.” That movie would end up being a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story about his life in filmmaking inspired by his family, The Fabelmans. And while a subject matter that is so absolutely personal and definitive for himself is explored with this movie, it’s far from a swan song as he feels he still has more stories to tell. And one genre he hasn’t personally tackled is that of the western.
Some may have thought that an exploratory auto-biopic along with his passing of the torch of the Indiana Jones franchise to a new director, James Mangold, signifies he may be closing up shop soon. However, his longtime producing partner, Kristie Macosko Krieger, says the contrary, “Oh, no, no, no. They’re going to pry a movie camera out of his hands. He was put on earth to make films. He’ll continue to tell great stories for the rest of his life.” And while Spielberg himself has yet to talk about making a western, Macosko Krieger says it’s one genre he still wants to make.
It makes a lot of sense as it’s a classic cinema genre that became a popular trend when the renowned director was growing up and watching movies. When Spielberg worked with Robert Zemeckis on Back to the Future Part III, they were excited they got to cross genres with the American west. Spielberg would produce western-themed movies such as Cowboys and Aliens. However, he has yet to come across one that he, himself, has seen fit to direct.
The Fabelmans will be released on November 11.