Spielberg tried to ruin “I know what to do”
In the world of filmmaking, certain names carry an almost mythical status. When Steven Spielberg offers advice on how to craft a cinematic masterpiece, it often lands with undeniable authority. He has directed some of the genre’s most iconic films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and War of the Worlds, cementing his place among the undisputed all-time greats of science fiction cinema.
Yet, even legends can be mistaken. On one particular occasion, when Spielberg offered his insights into sci-fi storytelling, the advice he gave proved surprisingly flawed—and would have likely resulted in a significantly weaker film. Thankfully, this poor counsel was overlooked, which ultimately vindicated the creative decision that followed, leading to a cinematic classic.
The real tension arose during the development of the Alien franchise. In 1985, shortly after Spielberg’s success with his television series Amazing Stories, he entertained the notion of drafting a sequel to Ridley Scott’s original masterpiece.
However, the path was not straightforward. As the breakout auteur focused on his own projects, the decision to helm a direct sequel to Alien fell to James Cameron. Cameron, acutely aware of the potential pitfalls, understood that altering the core essence of the creature would be disastrous.
Spielberg’s suggestion, however, was to make the alien a misunderstood, tragic figure—a monster desperately trying to survive being hunted by indifferent humans. He wanted to transform the terrifying cosmic creature into a flawed hero.
James Cameron, obviously, knew this direction was creatively unsound. He recognized that attempting to soften the Xenomorph into a sympathetic figure would have been incredibly stupid. If he had listened to Spielberg, the resulting Aliens would not have possessed the mesmerizing power it ultimately achieved.
Instead, Cameron chose a different route. He embraced the terror and transformed the Xenomorph into a relentless, action-packed spectacle. This decision—opting for balls-to-the-wall action over sentimentality—proved to be a masterstroke. It yielded a film that was not only a commercial success but remains one of the genre’s defining classics.
It is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the best creative decisions are those made by ignoring the well-meaning but ultimately misguided advice of the greats.
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