Steven Spielberg says his late parents were ‘nagging’ him to make a film about their family
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Steven Spielberg revealed that his mother, Leah, who died in 2017, and father, Arnold, who passed away in 2020, were very supportive of him making a film about their family.
Prior to the release of his semi-autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, the 75-year-old Hollywood legend joked that his late parents encouraged him to tap into his own experiences and upbringing for inspiration.
“They were actually nagging me, ‘When are you going to tell that story about our family, Steve?’ And so this was something they were really excited about,” he mused.
Continuing their legacy: Steven Spielberg revealed that his mother, Leah, who died in 2017, and father, Arnold, who died in 2020, were very supportive of him making a film about their family; seen in 1989
He continued, “I started thinking seriously, if I had to make one movie that I haven’t made yet, something that I really want to do on a very personal atomic level, what would it be? And there was only one story I really wanted to tell.’
The Fabelmans is his “first coming-of-age story” he “ever told” after directing some of the most acclaimed films of all time, including ET, Jurassic Park, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, and more.
Spielberg, one of the most prolific filmmakers out there, explained to The Hollywood Reporter what he hopes viewers get from his latest work.
Sweet: Prior to the release of his semi-autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, the 75-year-old Hollywood legend joked that his late parents encouraged him to tap into his own experiences and upbringing for inspiration (seen with his mother in 2009)
“They were actually nagging me, ‘When are you going to tell that story about our family, Steve?’ And so this was something they were really excited about,” he mused (pictured in 1988)
On seeing the film, he wants people to think about “when does a young person in a family begin to see his parents as human beings.”
“In my case, because of what happened between the ages of 7 and 18, I started to value my mother and father not as parents, but as real people,” said the father of seven.
Seth Rogen, who plays Bennie Loewy, a fictional character based on Spielberg’s “nice uncle” father figure, Bernie, in real life, recently revealed that there was “a lot of crying on set” and that the filming was “a very emotional experience.” .
First Look: A trailer and first image for The Fabelmans were released after the film had its world premiere on day three of the Toronto International Film Festival 2022 in September
Dream Big: The trailer opens with the words ‘movies are dreams you never forget’, spoken by Michelle Williams’ character Mitzi Fabelman to her young, aspiring filmmaker son Sammy (pictured)
Pursuit: As an older teen, you see Sammy, played by newcomer Gabriel LaBelle (pictured), navigating the pursuit of his dream of becoming a successful filmmaker
“It’s very directly based on his life and pretty much everything that happens in the movie is something that happened to him,” the 40-year-old actor said at the 10th annual Hilarity for Charity birthday extravaganza. People.
When he asked the director ‘did this happen in real life’, Spielberg answered ‘one hundred percent of the time’ yes.
After showing at the Toronto International Film Festival, Steven said of the film according to THR: “This film is a way to bring my mom and dad back.
Telling the story: The film stars four-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams (pictured right) as Sammy’s artistic mother, Mitzi
All Stars: Paul Dano stars as Sammy’s successful scientific father, Burt (pictured left)
“And it also brought my sisters closer to me than I ever thought possible. That was worth making the film for.’
The director’s mother, Leah, died in 2017 at the age of 97, while his father died in 2020 at the age of 103.
The log line for the film reads: “Growing up in post-World War II Arizona, a young man named Sammy Fabelman discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of movies can help him see the truth.”
Hit screens: The Fabelmans hits cinemas in UK and Ireland from 27 January 2023
It was written by Steven and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner.
The film is produced by three-time Oscar nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven and Tony.
Gabriel plays 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy, four-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams as his artistic mother, Mitzi, Paul Dano as his successful scientific father, Burt, Seth Rogen as Bennie Loewy, Burt’s best friend and honorary ‘uncle ‘ by the Fabelman kids, and Academy Award nominee Judd Hirsch as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris.
The cast includes Oscar nominee Jeannie Berlin as Sammy’s paternal grandmother, Hadassah Fabelman, Julia Butters as Sammy’s sister Reggie; Robin Bartlett as Sammy’s maternal grandmother Tina Schildkraut and Keeley Karsten as Sammy’s sister Natalie.
The Fabelmans hits theaters in the UK and Ireland from January 27, 2023.