When it comes to naming the greatest directors in the history of cinema, no list is complete without the inclusion of Steven Spielberg. While attempting to rank the best to ever step behind a camera is close to impossible, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who can flit between crowd-pleasing blockbusters and prestige dramas anywhere near as seamlessly.
Not only has the bearded maestro won three Academy Awards from a whopping seventeen nominations, but no other director in history has ever seen their filmography earn as much at the box office. He’s the only one to have ever racked up a cumulative total of $10 billion, which he’s managed without making any franchise fare outside of his Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park sequels.
Remaking an all-time classic in West Side Story is a risky move, but if the early reactions are any barometer, Spielberg’s spin on the story is set for some major awards season glory. The enthusiastic responses have seen him coming in for widespread praise on Twitter, as you can see below.
Such is the breadth of his oeuvre, everyone has at least one Spielberg feature that they hold close to their heart, and it’s incredible that he’s managed to maintain such a consistent level of quality in the 46 years since Jaws first brought him to mainstream attention.