Schindler’s List (1993) is undoubtedly one of Steven Spielberg’s best and most raw works out there. The film was well-received by both critics and fans and to this day, it is enough to make viewers cry. Of course, the true story of Oskar Schindler couldn’t have been translated this perfectly on screen without the help of the renowned filmmaker. However, Steven Spielberg had to face many obstacles while working on Schindler’s List.
One of these obstacles was yet another classic film by the filmmaker, Jurassic Park (1993). After finishing the principal photography of the film, Steven Spielberg decided it would be best to begin working on Schindler’s List immediately. However, to his disappointment, Tom Pollock was not on board. After finally getting him to agree, Steven Spielberg faced another hiccup and that’s where his friend and collaborator, George Lucas, stepped in to help.
Steven Spielberg Finds Himself in A Dilemma
Revealing the untold story of Schindler’s List for The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘Schindler’s List’: An Oral History of a Masterpiece, Steven Spielberg gave insight into the film’s clash with Jurassic Park. He revealed that after finishing the principal photography of the latter, he was excited to start working on the former almost immediately.
Unfortunately, Tom Pollock who was in charge of Universal’s feature division didn’t think it was a good idea. Since Jurassic Park was going to be a huge deal for the company and was expected to bring in big bucks (which it did), Pollock asserted that Spielberg should wrap up with the film before moving on to Schindler’s List.
“Tom Pollock, who was running the feature division of Universal, said, ‘I think it’s great that you’re interested in doing Schindler’s List, but you’ve got to finish Jurassic Park first.’ I was in post on Jurassic Park. I said, ‘I think I can overlap. I can do Schindler’s List while I’m finishing Jurassic Park.’ Tom resisted that. He said, ‘Jurassic Park is a huge piece of business for this company; you can’t abandon it.’ I said, ‘Tom, I’m not going to abandon it. I’ve locked the film. All I have left to do is mix it, score it and correct the color.’ And he said, ‘Well, you can’t do that from Eastern Europe.’ And I said, ‘Yes I can.’”
Now, Spielberg didn’t want to choose between the two films. He wanted to polish Jurassic Park as he simultaneously worked on Schindler’s List. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently, yes. It wasn’t going to be easy to get Pollock’s approval.
George Lucas Lends a Helping Hand to Steven Spielberg
Seeing the filmmaker’s commitment to both the projects, Pollock finally relented and said yes to his proposal. While Spielberg got on with his promise of editing Jurassic Park, he had to privately seek help from one of his good friends, George Lucas, for the film’s sound mixing.
“I called George. I said, ‘George, I’m in trouble. The studio’s really upset with me that I’m going to not mix Jurassic Park and go off to Europe and make Schindler’s List. Would you mix Jurassic Park?’ I already had his mixers working on the film, so George said he’d take over. And he and Kathy Kennedy mixed the film.”
Thus, Lucas came in real handy when his friend was in trouble, possibly saving him from a huge disaster that could have been awaiting him back at Universal.
Lucas and Spielberg have collaborated on a few projects together, including Raiders of the Lost Ark, and both filmmakers have had a huge impact on the film industry. It only makes sense that they have got each other’s backs!
You can stream Jurassic Park on Netflix and Schindler’s List is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
