Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
While Steven Spielberg had worked on a plethora of short films by the time he was 18, in ’68, the director joined forces with Universal to write and directAmblin, whose success earned him a seven-year contract with the media giant. In the following years, theETfilmmaker would become synonymous with his television works, includingColumbo‘sMurder by the Book‘.
Although it wasJawsthat would push Spielberg to stardom, before helming the iconic thriller, theETcreator pushed for another project, which would become his first official movie.
Steven Spielberg lobbied hard for his first TV movie
Steven Spielberg‘s first movieDuelwas a major critical hit for Universal, thanks to its Hitchcockian story. And its success upon its TV debut would eventually earn the movie a theatrical release. But getting the reins of the project wasn’t an easy task for Spielberg, as he was only in his early 20s at the time.
The Most Experimental Steven Spielberg Movie We Will Never Get To See: It Starred Chris Hemsworth, Anne Hathaway in a Terminator-Style Documentary Film
However, his work on Columbo would prove to be a turning point, as George Eckstein, producer ofDuel, was thoroughly impressed by Spielberg’s rough cut of the first episode, who took him to ABC’s then head, Barry Diller (viaDGA).
I lobbied for it very, very hard. I had just finished directing Colombo, the very first show of the series, and it turned out really well. So I showed George Eckstein, who was producing Duel, my rough cut and he liked it and then represented me to the network, and I believe he went to Barry Diller, who was then head of ABC, and Barry approved me. And so I got this amazing gig.
Despite being a TV movie,Duelstood out from the rest of the pack, thanks to Steven Spielberg’s visual storytelling, which was quite bold on theJawsdirector‘s part.
Steven Spielberg wanted to giveDuelthe silent treatment
Apart from crediting Richard Matheson’s script, which made him realize that“directors need great screenplays to look good”, the director was adamant about treatingDuelas a silent film. While he did cut out 50% of the dialogue for the shoot, Spielberg initially wanted to“cut out even more dialogue”.
“I want them to gamble along with me”: Real Reason $9.5B Rich Steven Spielberg Makes Stars Agree to a High-Stakes No-Pay Risk in His Movies
But the idea didn’t sit right with the studio, as the top brass felt it’d have been too much for their targeted demographic (viaEmpire).
I even tried to get the network to agree to let me cut out even more dialogue, but the network was adamant that we needed what remained as some kind of a road map for people who just watched TV and who didn’t want to put too much effort into the viewing experience. If I’d had final cut in those days, I would have cut the dialogue even further back.
But despite the limitations, Spielberg hit it out of the park with his first official movie, which became a cult classic in the years that followed.
Duelis available to rent on Apple TV.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
More from Santanu Roy
Good Boy First Trailer: Will The Dog Survive in The Scariest Horror Movie of 2025?
Sydney Sweeney’s Great Jeans Can’t Save Americana From Weapons Box-Office Onslaught: Full Report
After “Kal-El, No!”, Gal Gadot Claims Snow White Failed Because of Her Israeli Roots
Recommended
We Were Liars Season 1 Ending Explained: Who Does Cadence Accidentally Kill?
Seth Rogen Had to Apologize for Comparing Clint Eastwood’s Biggest Movie to Inglourious Basterds
New ‘Harry Potter’ BTS Image Reveals Nick Frost’s Shockingly Perfect Look as Hagrid
Upload Season 4: How Many Episodes Will the Final Season Have?
Japan’s 10 Most-Watched Anime of 2025: Naruto Not Even in Top 5
18 Years Later, 47%-rated Mark Wahlberg Action Blockbuster Is Still Conquering Streaming
Steven Spielberg
