Jaws was released over 50 years ago, and people are still terrified of sharks. There are scream-worthy moments in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jurassic Park. And while Steven Spielberg technically didnât direct PoltergeistâTobe Hooper didâhe produced it, wrote the story, and co-wrote the screenplay. And now, five decades into whatâs been a very genre-heavy filmmaking career, Spielberg admits heâs still hoping to direct a horror movie eventually.
Speaking to Empire, however, the Oscar winner explained thereâs a reason why he hasnât yet taken the plunge.
âI havenât directed a horror film yet, and Iâve always wanted to, and someday I may,â he said. âBut there have been some great horror films out already that satisfy that itch.â
Zach Craggerâs Weapons is one such example. âWhen I see a great horror film like Weapons, I donât have an itch I need to scratch. I see Weapons, and it doesnât make me want to make a horror film thatâs as scary or scarier than Weapons. It satisfies me so completely, it actually arrests my desire to someday make a really, really scary movie.â
Spielbergâs latest alien-themed movie, Disclosure Day, arrives June 12, and it seems he doesnât have that same urge to put off sci-fi when he sees a really great sci-fi film from another filmmaker. Case in point: he loves Denis Villeneuveâs Dune movies and thinks they âhonorâ the books by Frank Herbert, which he also loves.
âThey are among my favorite science fiction movies, not just recently, but of all time. Especially the second film,â he told Empire. âI think [Part Two] is the best movie Denis has ever made. I cannot wait to see the third one.â
Being Spielberg has its privileges, by the way. Dune: Part Three isnât out till December, but âIâm sure heâll show it to me early. Iâm such a fan of his.â
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