Steven Spielberg’s Best Movies Are Being Released In IMAX
We can't wait!
Legendary director and producer Steven Spielberg has helmed some of the greatest films of the last half century, and there doesn’t seem to be a single kind of movie he can’t make. He’s given us more serious fare like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler‘s List along with fun blockbusters like Jurassic Park and Ready Player One. With Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark he gave us one our most beloved movie heroes, and with Lincoln he gave us a stunning portrayal of arguably the greatest United States president. Now the movie that put him on the map and the film that made aliens kid-friendly — 1975’s Jaws and 1982’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial — are coming back to theaters on Imax screens.
Deadline reports that Steven Spielberg’s E.T. will be re-released on Friday, August 12, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the film’s original release. The sci-fi film about the young Elliott (Henry Thomas) who befriends and protects the eponymous alien became an absolute sensation and remains a cultural touchstone. Any real child named Elliott at the time likely got no rest from friends and family reaching out their finger toward them and croaking “Ell…eee…uhtt…” like the E.T. of the film. The scene in which Elliott and his friends race away on their bikes through the night sky — lifted by the alien’s telekinesis — is still one of the of the most iconic images in cinema. Anyone who can watch the young heroes of Stranger Things ride their bikes around Hawkins without thinking of that scene clearly did not grow up with E.T.
Three weeks later, on Friday September 2, Jaws will re-release in theaters. Unlike E.T., Jaws will hit theaters not only on Imax screens but in RealD 3D. The horror-thriller about a great white shark menacing a New England community made Steven Spielberg a household name, and pulled in $472 million worldwide on a $9 million budget.
In spite of both films being decades old, the re-releases have a decent chance of making some money. Deadline says the competition for both weekends will be relatively light. Jaws‘ only competition will be the comedy Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Meanwhile E.T. will open against the animated Inu-oh, the dramedy Mack & Rita, and the Aubrey Plaza led thriller Emily the Criminal.
Last year Steven Spielberg finally added “musical” to his list of feature directorial accomplishments. The director’s long-awaited remake of West Side Story finally hit theaters and while it didn’t do great at the box office, it was received with huge acclaim; attracting 7 Oscar nominations one of which was taken home by Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress.
Steven Spielberg’s next project is The Fabelmans and it’s shrouded in a bit more mystery than many of his projects. Other than some of the cast, there isn’t a lot known about the plot of the film, though it’s said to be semi-autobiographical to Spielberg’s upbringing in Arizona. The announced cast includes Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Paul Dano (The Batman), Judd Hirsch (Independence Day), and David Lynch (Twin Peaks).
