MOVIE NEWS – Steven Spielberg has mastered many genres throughout his illustrious career. He’s made lauded war films like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, as well as acclaimed dramas such as The Color Purple and The Fabelmans. Spielberg directed musicals with West Side Story, action-adventure with the Indiana Jones franchise, and even animation in The Adventures of Tintin. The director’s next release is another foray into the sci-fi realm with Disclosure Day, hitting theaters this summer. Still, it looks like Spielberg isn’t done breaking into new territory, as he has plans to finally make a Western.
During a SXSW keynote conversation, Spielberg spoke with moderator Sean Fennessey, with much of their discussion pertaining to Disclosure Day. However, Fennessey asked whether Spielberg planned to make a Western during his career. Not only did the director reveal that he is actively developing a project in the genre, but it apparently “kicks ass.” “I can’t reveal anything right now, but I have something in development. And it kicks ass.”
Spielberg noted that he hopes to shoot the movie in Texas. While that comment may have been a bit of playful pandering to the Texas-based festival audience, the director also made lofty promises that the movie would avoid the clichés most Westerns embrace. There will be all the elements fans of the genre expect, with Spielberg stating: “There will be horses. There will be guns. There will be no tropes, I can tell you that. There’s going to be no stereotypes.”
Spielberg hasn’t specifically tapped into the Western genre yet, though he has made a few adjacent films, such as War Horse and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The director is also a noted fan of the genre, often speaking about beloved classics like Stagecoach (1939), the works of Howard Hawks (Rio Bravo, Red River), and Michael Curtiz (Dodge City). Spielberg has even expressed how influential director John Ford’s work has been in his career, particularly mentioning the John Wayne-starring film The Searchers (1959). The director openly spoke with AFI about how Ford’s adept sensibilities helped shape the creator Spielberg became: “I’m very sensitive to the way he uses his camera to paint his pictures and the way he frames things. And the way he stages and blocks his people, often keeping the camera static while people give you the illusion that there’s a lot more kinetic movement when there isn’t. In that sense, he is like a classic painter. He celebrates the frame, not just what happens inside of it.”
Making a Western has been a long time coming for Spielberg, as he has mentioned his desire for the genre, “that’s eluded me.” While speaking with THR in 2025, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker stated he’s wanted to make a Western for “decades,” saying he still has “an appetite for a Western, which I will someday hopefully do. It’s something that’s eluded me for all of these decades.” The director kept further details under wraps, but he is often quick to develop and film projects, meaning his Western may gain traction sooner than fans think. However, fans are sure to be interested in how he subverts expectations in a genre known for overusing and even creating specific tropes. Still, if anyone was going to bring a distinct new flair to a Western, it’s Spielberg. His upcoming movie, Disclosure Day, hits theaters on June 12, and any other details about his Western project are likely to remain tightly under wraps until then.
Source: MovieWeb
