Who Might Be the Next Steven Spielberg?

Let’s just get this out of the way right now: There’s only one Steven Spielberg.

His filmmaking legacy is clear: genre-spanning work, delivered over six decades, that includes action-adventure blockbusters, gripping Oscar-winning dramas, critically acclaimed sci-fi, and so much more. He invented the summer blockbuster with Jaws, launched the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park franchises, and made us all weep because of aliens and robots.

Disclosure Day

Universal Pictures/Everett Collection

This week the Little Gold Men team explores Spielberg’s incredible body of work and examines his latest film, Disclosure Day. The movie (which has already earned more than $90 million worldwide) may be uneven, but it reminds us why Spielberg is one of the best: He’s an empathetic filmmaker who can ask the big questions about humanity through sci-fi epics.

The Little Gold Men crew also wonders who among the next generation of filmmakers might be able to walk the same path—releasing big, bold tentpoles, but also winning over Oscar voters. Ryan Coogler, especially after the success of Sinners, feels like the most likely heir apparent. “He’s got two franchises, but then also has done Sinners, which is basically a historical musical, which is sort of out of left field,” says Vanity Fair’s Chris Murphy. “He hasn’t missed yet, so I do think that’s probably the closest corollary.”

Spielberg on set.

Niko Tavernise/Universal Pictures/Everett Collection

Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have both also mastered the art of making big theatrical movies that also earn critical acclaim. Or perhaps we should look to Greta Gerwig, who makes films with a similar openheartedness, had a box office hit with Barbie, and is also beloved by Oscar voters.

But to be fair to all modern-day filmmakers, the landscape of Hollywood has dramatically changed since Spielberg was first starting out. Could a director release Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List in the same year now (as Spielberg did back in 1993)? Probably not. The studios make fewer films in general, and there’s far more aversion to risk than there was a few decades ago.