It’s a big day for legendary directorSteven Spielberg, as he has just turned 75 years old. As one of the most revered and influential filmmakers in cinematic history, Spielberg has amassed fans all over the globe, and many are coming out to celebrate the man and his work in honor of his birthday. There are also tributes pouring in from the official pages for Spielberg-related franchises, such asJurassic World.
Spielberg’s big day also happens to come at a time when his latest feature is playing in theaters. Recently,West Side Storyopened in theaters. The movie, directed by Spielberg, is a remake of the 1961 film adaptation of the same name and stars Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno, Ansel Elgort, and Ariana DeBose. While it didn’t pull in the ticket sales Disney was hoping for, the movie brought in even more critical praise for Spielberg as the film was a big hit with those who went to see it.
Spielberg is also gearing up for his next big movie which is due for a release in late 2022. CalledThe Fabelmans, the movie isa semi-autobiographical drama loosely based on Spielberg’s own childhoodin Arizona. Spielberg co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Kushner and the project stars Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, and Oakes Fegley. Of course, Spielberg has also explained howWest Side Storywas also a passion project that took some inspiration from his childhood.
“My mom was a classical pianist,” Spielberg said. “Our entire home was festooned with classical musical albums, and I grew up surrounded by classical music.West Side Storywas actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. I absconded with it, this was the cast album from the 1957 Broadway musical, just fell completely in love with it as a kid.West Side Storyhas been that one haunting temptation that I have finally given in to.”
These are just the newest projects to have Steven Spielberg at the helm. Fans can look back and see so many iconic movies from his filmography that it might be impossible to choose one favorite for many big fans. This is true whether you’re going all the way back to the 70s withmovies likeJaws,Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and1941; the 80s with titles likeE. T. the Extra-Terrestrial,The Goonies, and theIndiana Jonesseries; the 90s with such hits asHook,Jurassic Park, andSaving Private Ryan; to the 2000s, withCatch Me if You Can,War of the Worlds, andMunich; into the 2010s, which broughtLincoln,The BFG, andReady Player One.
Whichever movies you might love from Spielberg most, everyone should be in agreement that the filmmaker is among the very best of all time. On his 75th birthday, let’s hope he’s making the best of his big day with a celebration that’s well deserved. To see Spielberg’s latest work, you may catchWest Side Storynow playing in theaters.Happy birthdayto Steven Spielberg!
