Science fiction is constantly evolving, even though it’s been around for a long time in filmmaking. James Cameron’s third Avatar movie is scheduled to come out in December 2025. While the stories aren’t as complex as films like Interstellar, the Avatar films will likely be remembered for their groundbreaking technology and what they accomplish visually. Even Cameron, a visionary director known for franchises like Terminator and Aliens, finds inspiration in other filmmakers. He often credits Steven Spielberg, the director of classics like Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, as a major influence.
Steven Spielberg is famous for adventure films, but his contributions to science fiction are equally significant. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a beautifully made movie that captures our natural curiosity and willingness to understand the unknown. But E.T. wouldn’t have been possible without another one of Spielberg’s films, a movie that still shapes the science fiction genre almost 50 years later.
Steven Spielberg’s First Big-Budget Sci-Fi Movie Is Personal to Him
Growing up, Spielberg was totally captivated by space – I mean, he and his dad once saw a meteor shower that really stuck with him. He always wanted to recreate that feeling of wonder in his movies. Later on, he managed to get a deal with Columbia Pictures to finally start working on a film about aliens. It took a backseat for a while when he made Jaws, but by 1976, the script for Close Encounters of the Third Kind was done, and they were actually filming! It was clearly a dream project for him.
Released in 1977, the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind centers on Roy Neary, an ordinary man whose life is forever changed when he sees a UFO in Indiana. Driven to understand why the aliens have come to Earth, Roy begins a search for answers, but his efforts are complicated by government interference. He finds help in Jillian Guiler, a woman searching for her son who was also taken by the aliens. Together, they establish contact with the extraterrestrial visitors, and Roy ultimately joins them, feeling a pull towards something greater. The film’s ending is considered a landmark moment in cinema, suggesting that the unknown can be as wondrous as it is frightening, and continues to be influential today.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Is in a League of Its Own
Following the critical and commercial success of his film, Spielberg thought about making either a sequel or a prequel, much like his friend George Lucas did with Star Wars in 1977. However, Spielberg realized he couldn’t find a compelling direction for a follow-up, and this ultimately proved beneficial. Allowing Close Encounters of the Third Kind to remain a standalone film allowed it to powerfully influence audiences around the world, including many prominent filmmakers.
Many acclaimed directors like Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, and Denis Villeneuve cite Spielberg’s film as a personal favorite, and it’s likely future filmmakers will feel the same. It proves that even a brief, spectacular event – like a meteor shower – can have a lasting impact on everything.
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2025-11-16 18:10