Steven Spielberg has revealed his personal list of favorite sci-fi films — and notably, E.T. and Ready Player One aren’t among the titles he highlights.
Few filmmakers have shaped modern cinema like Spielberg, whose directing credits include huge hits such as Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan, among many others.
His most recent feature, The Fablemans, earned him the Golden Globe for Best Director. The 2022 release also leaned into the kind of stacked ensemble he’s known for, with names including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, David Lynch, and Seth Rogan — a lineup that reflects just how ambitious the production was.
Next, Spielberg is returning with another high-profile cast. Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Colmon Domingo, and Josh O’Connor are set to appear in Disclosure Day. The project also marks his first sci-fi film since 2018’s well-received Ready Player One.
Despite having made multiple sci-fi classics himself, Spielberg didn’t point to any of his own movies when discussing the genre’s top tier, instead focusing on other filmmakers’ work that he says stands out from the pack.
In an interview with Empire, he said: “Recently, I’ve loved the Dune movies. They are among my favourite science-fiction movies, not just recently, but of all time.”
He also singled out the second installment for special praise: “I think [Part Two] is the best movie Denis [Villeneuve] has ever made. I cannot wait to see the third one. I’m sure he’ll show it to me early. I’m such a fan of his.”
Spielberg went on to note that, in his view, Villeneuve captures the spirit of the original Dune novels — and he compared that kind of faithful approach to Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
During the same conversation, Spielberg also talked about a genre he hasn’t officially taken on as a director: horror — something he says he still hopes to explore.
“I haven’t directed a horror film yet, and I’ve always wanted to, and someday I may,” the 79-year-old teased. “But there have been some great horror films out already that satisfy that itch.”
One film he mentioned as doing exactly that is Weapons.
“I see Weapons, and it doesn’t make me want to make a horror film that’s as scary or scarier than Weapons,” Spielberg shared.
“It satisfies me so completely, it actually arrests my desire to someday make a really, really scary movie.”
Alongside his enthusiasm for Weapons and the Dune series, Spielberg has also previously weighed in on what he considers the greatest American film ever made — naming The Godfather as his pick.