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The billion-dollar franchise ofJurassic Parkstarted as a ’90s classic regaling fans with the adventurous theme park of genetically engineered dinosaurs, sprouting six feature-length films in its wake. And long before you knew it, the Steven Spielberg creation became a pop culture phenomenon.
But the dangerously thrilling world of dinosaurs may never have existed had it not been for this industry mogul who saved Spielberg (and his breakthrough movie).
Steven Spielberg’s Breakthrough Film Set the Pace ForJurassic Park
Steven Spielberghas sired many a blockbuster during an illustrious tenure spanning five decades in the film industry, and theJurassic Parkfilm series is a prime example of the same.
Adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name,Jurassic Parkwas such an exponential hit that it became the highest-grossing film of all time (before Titanic dethroned it), amassing over a whopping $978 worldwide (viaBox Office Mojo).
Although Spielberg didn’t return after directing the first two installments, he did play an instrumental role in getting the franchise off the grounds, to begin with.
The genesis of his success story, and ultimately that ofJurassic Park‘s, however, can be traced back to circa 1975, whenJaws– against all odds – turned the acclaimed filmmaker into a household name.
Not only did the thriller land three Academy Awards, but it also secured a top spot on box office charts after banking about $477 million worldwide (viaBox Office Mojo).
Even Steven Spielberg Made an Enemy in Hollywood Which Led to a Legendary Feud That Can Easily Eclipse His Skirmish With Tom Cruise
But ifJawshadn’t emerged victorious at the time, Spielberg may not have been able to bestow fans with what is now a globally cherished franchise ofJurassic Park. And surprisingly enough, it did come close to that.
The Hollywood Heavyweight Who Saved Steven Spielberg
Spielberg had his work cut out for him when the now-77-year-old director took up the exacting task of adapting a brand new, albeit superhit, novel into a film.
Not only had he been relatively new to the game at the time, but he’d also taken the challenging feat of shootingJawsin the open ocean. And if that wasn’t a Herculean task in itself, theE.T.director came face-to-face with a horde of new issues with an inflated budget and messed-up schedule sitting on the top of the list.
Meanwhile, the big shots at Universal Pictures considered firing Spielberg instead, the budget and timing issues didn’t particularly help his case. But thanks to one executive at the company, that day never came.
Sidney Sheinberg – who back then was the President of Universal Pictures – vouched for the Oscar-winning filmmaker and backed him up every time the others saw an opening to replace him.
“Sid Sheinberg always blocked it,”Spielberg toldEWof his mentor.“Every time there was an intention to replace me, Sid stepped in quietly behind the scenes and stopped it.”Not to mention, Sheinberg’s wife, Lorraine Gary was one of the stars inJawsso he had a vested interest in salvaging it.
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Spielberg and Sheinberg collaborated on many projects after that first summer of success, gifting movie buffs with sundry masterpieces likeJurassic ParkandSchindler’s Listand becoming close friends during the journey.
So, of course, when the company exec passed away in 2019, Spielberg was heartbroken.“We were a team for 25 years and he was my dear friend for 50,”he said of Sheinberg.“I have no concept about how to accept that Sid is gone. For the rest of my life I will owe him more than I can express”(viaDeadline).
Jurassic Parkis available on Apple TV.
Khushi Shah
Articles Published :857
With a prolific knowledge of everything pop culture and a strong penchant for writing, Khushi has penned over 700 articles during her time as an author at FandomWire.An abnormal psychology student and an fervent reader of dark fiction, her most trusted soldiers are coffee and a good book.
