Steven Spielberg is correct when he admits to having a sequel problem, and its one that affects nearly all his films, not just Jurassic Park. In a recent interview with The New York Times Spielberg admits that, along with an ego boost from the first film's success, a general distaste for sequels proved to be a primary reason for the lukewarm reception to his 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This statement holds more validity thanks to a proven track record of Spielberg directing sequels that are ultimately inferior to his original films.
As one of the most iconic and successful directors working in the film industry, Steven Speilberg's career has seen him produce several blockbuster hits, such as Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park, as well as Oscar Winners like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. The latter two films saw the director win an Oscar for Best Director, the only two he has received so far despite numerous nominations for his other films. All this being said, however, not every film Spielberg directed has been met with a positive reception. As his filmography proves, some of his weakest have been sequels to his greatest hits.
Despite the huge success of their predecessors, Spielberg's sequels have never been able to replicate that same sensation. This isn't to say that they were outright disasters, but it's clear from what the iconic director has put out that sequels simply aren't his forte. When Speilberg discusses Jurassic Park: The Lost World, he explicitly states that there is no inspiration on his part to make sequels, and they have been made solely due to the success of their predecessor. "My sequels aren’t as good as my originals because I go onto every sequel I’ve made and I’m too confident," the director explained. "This movie made a ka-zillion dollars, which justifies the sequel, so I come in like it’s going to be a slam dunk and I wind up making an inferior movie to the one before."
Aside from The Lost World, Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones franchise is another indicator of his struggles with sequels. While Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade proves that Spielberg is capable of making a truly great sequel, Temple of Doom's reception was far more mixed. Still, nothing proves Spielberg's sequel problem better than Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, which has been rather famously divisive over the years. The biggest problem with Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull is that, through its concept involving aliens and scenes like the infamous refrigerator moment, it veers so far from what made Raiders Of The Lost Ark a classic that it almost feels like it belongs in a different franchise. Tellingly, Crystal Skull was the last sequel Spielberg ever made, which may indicate that he's effectively done working on any more.
Overall, Steven Spielberg's sequel problem proves that even a director as skilled as him can have significant pitfalls. At the end of the day, though, his recent success with films such as West Side Story proves that has not deterred him in the slightest. And with the Jurassic Park franchise moving on with new directors and James Mangold tackling Indiana Jones 5, it's now possible for Spielberg to finish out his career focusing on his strengths, rather than his weaknesses.
