Steven Spielberg is the most commercially successful director of all time, and his movies have made over $10 billion at the global box office. In a career spanning over 50 years, Spielberg has excelled in a variety of genres, including sci-fi, action, horror and drama. One common thread in all his creative pursuits has been massive box office success. Spielberg has set the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time on three separate occasions.
According to Spielberg himself, his first ever movie made a profit of $1. He madeFirelightwith a $500 budget when he was just 17, and his ticket sales from the one-night showing totaled $501. From these humble beginnings, Spielberg developed a career as a director of box office smashes. His highest-grossing movies aren’t necessarily his best, sinceSchindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost ArkandCatch Me If You Canall fail to crack the top ten, but he has often managed to marry commercial success with critical acclaim.
Steven Spielberg’s first animated feature proved that he wasn’t afraid to try new things after already being at the summit of the movie industry for decades.The Adventures of Tintinis a fitting big-screen adaptation for Hergé’s beloved character, recapturing the same sense of grand adventure and intriguing mystery as the comic books. Spielberg takes to the medium of animation like a natural, and the freedom allows him to indulge his desire for action-packed spectacle.
With abudget of $135 million,The Adventures of Tintindelivered a solid box office haul, but it might have been expected to do a little better. Animated movies can often struggle if they aren’t from one of the big animation studios, andThe Adventures of Tintin’s motion-capture style might also have been a drawback. If it had been a bigger success, anAdventures of Tintinsequelwould probably have been made by now, but fans are still waiting for more news over a decade later. Peter Jackson is keen on directing a sequel, and there are plenty moreTintinbooks to mine for inspiration.
If theIndiana Jonesfranchisehad ended withThe Last Crusade- as was the original plan - it would have been a perfect trilogy. After the darker tone ofTemple of Doom, The Last Crusademoves out of prequel territory and sees Indy once again racing around the world to keep a powerful, ancient treasure out of the hands of the Nazis. One big difference betweenThe Last CrusadeandRaiders of the Lost Arkis that the threequel benefits from the comedic performance of Sean Connery as Indy’s father.
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At the time,The Last Crusadecapped Steven Spielberg’s trilogy with the biggest box office return of anyIndiana Jonesmovie. It made over $100 million more thanRaiders of the Lost Ark, withTemple of Doomtrailing behind in third place. The$48 million budgetwas also the franchise’s biggest back in 1989.The Last Crusade’s success was one big reason why the franchise continued in the 21st century, even though the later sequels didn’t quite live up to Indy’s earlier adventures.
Jawswas Steven Spielberg’s second movie to get a theatrical release, and it quickly established his reputation as an up-and-coming director worth watching. After 50 years,Jawsremains one of his best movies, mixing his flair for cinematic action with a gripping personal story that most similar thrillers don’t have the patience for.Jawsis known for its blood-soaked thrills and tense music by John Williams, but it’s also about three men from different walks of life who are forced to work together under intense pressure.
Jawsis credited with creating the summer blockbuster.
Jawsis credited with creating the summer blockbuster. It was the highest-grossing movie of all time for a short while beforeStar Warscame along, although Spielberg recaptured this title later in his career. With abudget of just $9 million,Jawswas also one of the most profitable movies ever. It inspired an entire subgenre of shark movies, although none of the imitators have ever come close to touchingJaws.
Saving Private Ryanis often mentioned in conversations about the best war movies ever, largely due to the immersive atmosphere that Steven Spielberg’s direction creates. Scenes like the D-Day landing have been praised for their kinetic action, but Spielberg always maintains a focus on his characters, rather than cheap explosive thrills.Saving Private Ryan’s historical accuracyhas also drawn praise from veterans and experts.
Saving Private Ryan’s box office success was echoed in its awards-season success.
Saving Private Ryan’s budget of $65 millionseems quaint by the standards of some modern blockbusters, but there have been many movies with three to four times the budget that have failed to create the same excitement.Saving Private Ryan’s box office success was echoed in its awards-season success. Although Spielberg never made a sequel, his World War II TV shows -Band of Brothers, The PacificandMasters of the Air- are spiritual successors well worth watching.
Based on Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name,Ready Player Oneis a sci-fi movie set in a future where people explore a vast virtual reality brimming with famous figures from pop culture. There are allusions toBatman, King Kong, Star Trek, Alienand dozens more movies, with Steven Spielberg even throwing in a nod to his own movie,Jurassic Park.This dizzying procession of pop culture references is appropriate for a movie about Easter egg hunting in video games.
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Ready Player Oneisn’t typically considered one of Spielberg’s best movies, but it’s still one of his most profitable. The movie’s box office success could be down to the popularity of the book and the promise of seeing dozens of popular pop culture touchstones on-screen together.Ready Player One’s budget of $150 millionmeant that it needed to be a big box office hit just to break even.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise are both used to huge box office success, and their 2005 sci-fi action movie certainly delivered results. Three years afterMinority Reportmade $358.8 million, Spielberg and Cruise teamed up once again forWar of the Worlds, an adaptation of H.G. Wells' seminal sci-fi novel. The setting is over a hundred years later than Wells' time, but Spielberg and Cruise capture the same wide-eyed awe of the novel.
Spielberg had made alien movies beforeWar of the Worlds,butE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialandClose Encounters of the Third Kindare both characterized by their wholesome and optimistic sentiments.War of the Worldshas no room for such sweetness. It’s an action blockbuster that bristles with malevolence and horror. It makes good use of its$132 million budgetto bring the tripods to life.
The firstJurassic Parksequel wasn’t as successful as the original, either commercially or critically, but it’s still one of Steven Spielberg’s highest-grossing movies.TheLost Worldbrings Jeff Goldblum back from the first movie, but Sam Neill and Laura Dern are both conspicuously absent, even though they return in the franchise’s later movies. Julianne Moore and Pete Postlethwaite are brought in as new characters.
Steven Spielberg has been public about his disappointment withThe Lost World.
Steven Spielberg has been public about his disappointment withThe Lost World,stating that he grew disillusioned with the movie as production wore on. Critics have mostly agreed with his negative assessment, praising the visual effects afforded by the$73 million budget, but condemning the story. The franchise hasn’t been able to produce another success like the first movie, butJurassic World Rebirthpromises another new dawn with a new cast.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullis the franchise’s highest-grossing movie by a considerable margin, although it isn’t as popular as any of the entries in the original trilogy of the 1980s.Kingdom of the Crystal Skullhas some great action sequences, and it’s a joy to see Harrison Ford reprising his role as Indy, but the divisive story and the character of Mutt both drag the movie down.
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Kingdom of the Crystal Skullcame with anenormous budget of $175 million, but this gamble paid off handsomely at the box office. By contrast, 2023’sIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyresulted in an estimated loss of $143 million, when factoring in marketing costs. Clearly, audience enthusiasm for the franchise had run out by the timeDial of Destinycame out.Kingdom of the Crystal Skullprobably contributed to this.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialis one movie which sums up Steven Spielberg’s appeal as a director. He has the ability to inspire wonder in his audience and an eye for a cinematic shot better than almost any other director, but his best movies also tell relatable human stories.E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialalso adds fuel to one of the most common criticisms levied against Spielberg, with some critics suggesting that his sentimentality can be sickly. Ultimately, the movie is a good litmus test to see whether someone can appreciate Spielberg.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialbecame the highest-grossing movie ever.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialbecame the highest-grossing movie ever, allowing Spielberg to reclaim this particular title afterStar WarssurpassedJawsin 1977. Itsbudget of $10.5 millionmakes this achievement all the more impressive.E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialhas taken on a nostalgic sheen since the 1980s, and this has helped it capture the hearts of subsequent generations throughout the years.
Steven Spielberg’s highest-grossing movie is also one of his best, andJurassic Worldhas lost none of its appeal over the years. The blend of groundbreaking CGI and intelligently-used practical effects has givenJurassic Parkthe ability to inspire, terrify and entertain audiences of all ages. It’s a perfect showcase of Spielberg’s talents, from his penchant for creative action to his underrated mastery of suspense.
Steven Spielberg’s highest-grossing movie is also one of his best.
Jurassic Parkis Spielberg’s only movie so far that has crossed the billion-dollar threshold, achieving this milestone on a budget of$63 million. Doing so back in 1993 was unprecedented, soJurassic ParkbeatE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’s box-office record by a huge margin. The fact that Spielberg releasedJurassic ParkandSchindler’s Listin the same year shows the breadth of his talents. His commercial success often blinds some people to his intelligence, skill and creativity as a filmmaker.
