Steven Spielberg ‘thought his career was over’ halfway through film’s production
Steven Spielberg was told he would ‘never get hired again’
- Steven Spielberg revealed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures that he believed his directing career was over during the production of Jaws.
- He was warned he would "never get hired again" as the 1975 film was significantly over budget and 100 days over schedule.
- Spielberg, then 26, attributed the difficulties to his "hubris" in attempting to shoot on the open ocean with a mechanical shark, alongside bad weather and technical failures.
- Despite being offered opportunities to abandon the project, he credited the cast and crew's resilience for completing the film, stating it "cost me a pound of flesh, but gave me a ton of career".
- Jaws went on to become the first true summer blockbuster, earning over $475m and winning three Academy Awards, though the experience left Spielberg with "consistent nightmares".