The long-awaited The Fabelmans is the next project of Hollywood’s most decorated movie director, Steven Spielberg, and is set to be his most personal film yet. The filmmaking visionary has made an impressive contribution to film, with such adored classics as E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List. Spielberg’s recent acclaimed West Side Story remake marked his first venture into the world of musicals and shows he’s still evolving as a director; The Fabelmans only proves this further.

The Fabelmans will be a coming-of-age, semi-autobiographical exploration of Spielberg’s formative years in Arizona and will strip away high-concept aliens, sharks, and dinosaurs, as well as his recently tackled dance numbers, to tell a story much closer to his heart. This project has long been in the pipeline and has gone through several iterations; in 1999, it even had a completed script written by his sister, entitled I’ll Be Home. Hot on the heels of Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, also inspired by personal events, Spielberg will explore his past and, luckily for fans, has found the courage to overcome his hesitancy to tackle such a personal story.

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Spielberg will direct, produce and write The Fabelmans, the latter of which he has not done in over twenty years, and will reunite with his long-time writing collaborator, Tony Kushner. If their past collaborations of Lincoln and West Side Story are anything to go by, this will be a well-written, rich, and exciting film. Most of The Fabelmans’ allure will come from the chance to take a deep dive into the man behind the camera, the fascinating filmmaking genius.

The Fabelmans Release Date

Steven Spielberg sitting between the feet of a T-Rex in a promo image for Jurassic Park

Having been announced in March 2021 and with production beginning in July 2021, The Fabelmans will open during the Thanksgiving period, 2022. In this prestigious slot, The Fabelmans will open against and compete with a Disney animated release and Creed III, an MGM property now owned by Amazon. Barring any delays, the film will receive a wide theatrical release on November 23rd, 2022 in the US.

The Fabelmans Cast

Showing Up - Kelly Reichardt Michelle Williams

Playing the lead role of Sammy Fabelman, a young, aspiring filmmaker based on a teenage Spielberg, is Gabriel LaBelle in his biggest role to date. Michelle Williams, known for breathtaking performances in films such as Manchester By the Sea and Brokeback Mountain, and in vogue actor Paul Dano will play Sammy’s mother and father, respectively. Meanwhile, Julia Butters, known for her scene-stealing performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, will play Sammy's sister, Anne. Comic star Seth Rogen, having recently starred in Pam and Tommy, will play Sammy’s uncle, based on young Spielberg’s favorite uncle. Finally, Spielberg has carefully selected a team of young actors to play young members of his family, including newcomer Mateo Zoryna Francis-Deford, who will play seven-year-old Sammy. Spielberg’s cast will also be joined by fellow director David Lynch in an intriguing, undisclosed role.

The Fabelmans Story Details

Steven Spielberg The Fabelmans Story Details

This mysterious upcoming film for the busy Spielberg, The Fabelmans, will be semi-autobiographical and depict his experience of growing up in post-war Arizona from age seven to seventeen through the character of Sammy and will foreground his passion for filmmaking. Thematically, it will cover family, young love, and parental divorce and will feature Sammy’s conflict with his parents and sisters. The Fablemans will explore how Sammy deploys his passion for filmmaking to navigate the challenges of his teenage years and will provide insight into Spielberg’s conservative, Jewish upbringing and his experience of antisemitism. Spielberg's long-time colleague and The Fableman's cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski, promises a “beautiful, personal movie” that uncovers how Spielberg was introduced to his artform and who he is as a filmmaker. Unfortunately, further details are being held tightly under wraps. However, the prospect of seeing a deviation from his Spielberg's allegorical films to instead examine his beginnings is enough to galvanize fans. The Fabelmans will provide a poignant portrait of the most famous film director and could become a classic Spielberg movie and a vessel to inspire even more generations of filmmakers.

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