Spielberg started developing Close Encounters of the Third Kind back in 1973, four years before it was released. It was one of the few early movies of his where he also wrote the screenplay. Other writers contributed, but this was Spielberg’s long cherished baby.
Originally titled Watch the Skies, Spielberg was developing the script during the shooting of Jaws. When that film broke box office records, Columbia Pictures decided to entrust Spielberg with a $19.4 million budget for Close Encounters of the Third Kind — a massive increase from its original $2.5 million budget. Columbia Pictures were right to back him — the film made over $300 million at the box office.
In this official documentary, Spielberg shares the story behind the making of his sci-fi epic. The actors and producers reveal their own experiences, to shed light on the filmmaking techniques used to create Spielberg’s first Best Director nomination at the Oscars.