Filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have been longtime friends and two of the most commercially successful directors of all time. Both have held the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time at different points in their career. However, Lucas was the first to predict Spielberg would claim the title.
In 1975, Spielberg’s Jaws was released in theaters and became the highest-grossing film at the time. However, Lucas had already predicted that would be the case, as evidenced by a clip in the documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. Here is why George Lucas thought Spielberg’s Jaws would redefine modern blockbusters.
George Lucas Predicted Steven Spielberg’s Jaws Would Become the Highest-Grossing Movie Ever
Steven Spielberg directed 1975’s Jaws, which remains one of the most phenomenal movies of all time, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Made on a budget of $9 million, it went on to gross $477.9 million globally (via Box Office Mojo).
In the process, it became the highest-grossing movie at the time, a feat almost no one would’ve expected from it, given its laborious and tedious production. No one except Spielberg’s good friend and future Star Wars director, George Lucas.
It was obvious it was gonna be a big hit.
Lucas made the above statement (via NBC) in the documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, predicting the blockbuster success of the movie.
In the same documentary, Spielberg explained that Lucas visited the sets of Jaws while the animatronic shark was still being developed. However, when Lucas saw the incomplete design for the animatronic shark, he was convinced that Jaws would become the most successful movie in cinema history.
Despite making an accurate prediction, Lucas would himself dethrone Jaws as the highest-grossing movie ever just two years later with his epic space opera Star Wars. This time, Spielberg was one of the few who truly believed in Lucas’ vision, proving why the duo is so successful in Hollywood.
How James Cameron’s Box Office Reign Was Built Upon George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s Success
While Star Wars held the title for the highest-grossing movie of all time for a while, it would eventually concede it to Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. A few years later, Spielberg beat his own record when 1993’s Jurassic Park became the highest-grossing movie of all time.
After nearly two decades of dominance at the box office, Lucas and Spielberg were dethroned by director James Cameron, first with his 1997 romantic drama Titanic and later with 2010’s Avatar (via Filmsite).
Here is a list of the trio’s movies that were the highest-grossers at some point (including re-release collections).
| Movie | Rotten Tomatoes | Box Office |
| Jaws (1975) | 97% | $477.9 million |
| Star Wars (1977) | 94% | $775.4 million |
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) | 99% | $797.3 million |
| Jurassic Park (1993) | 91% | $1.058 billion |
| Titanic (1997) | 88% | $2.264 billion |
| Avatar (2010) | 81% | $2.923 billion |
Despite Cameron’s box office reign, it is hard to imagine the massive commercial success of his high-concept movies without the brilliant foundation Spielberg and Lucas had already laid with their blockbusters.
For instance, Avatar is rooted in the culture of an alien world with its own history and mythology, a concept Lucas mastered in Star Wars. Meanwhile, the movie’s man vs nature conflict was at the forefront of Spielberg’s Jaws.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Cameron’s box office dominance was built upon Spielberg and Lucas’ success. Who do you think is the better director among the trio? Let us know in the comments!
Jaws is currently streaming on Netflix and Peacock (USA).
