Steven Spielberg was filled with doubts when he was approached to direct Schindler’s List. Spielberg didn’t consider himself mature enough to make a film on the Holocaust, however, he was unwilling to let the opportunity slide. Martin Scorsese was in the running to direct the film at one point. However, Spielberg decided to offer Scorsese a chance to direct the 1991 remake of Cape Fear and decided to helm the Liam Neeson-led film himself.
It was one of Spielberg’s best decisions as the film went on to grab him the Best Director Award at the 66th Academy Awards. The film received critical acclaim for its performances and Spielberg’s direction. It grossed $322.2 million at the box office against a budget of $22 million (via Box Office Mojo).
Steven Spielberg And Martin Scorsese Allegedly Swapped Films In A Deal That Benefitted Both
This year marked the 30th Anniversary of Steven Spielberg and Schindler’s List winning big at the Oscars. More information surfaced about the behind-the-scenes of the film, as Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Liam Neeson, and several others opened up to a feature in The Hollywood Reporter. One interesting information came from CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz, who represented Scorsese at the time.
Ovitz revealed that even though Scorsese was developing various passion projects, he wanted the Killers of the Flower Moon director to make a project with a wider audience appeal. The CAA chairman firmly believed that Schindler’s List was not a film that audiences would be jumping up and down about. Moreover, Ovitz felt that the project was a difficult subject for Scorsese to handle at the time.
Ovitz shared that he was looking to sign Spielberg at the time and was in constant communication with the Jaws director. Spielberg was looking to remake the 1962 classic film Cape Fear. Ovitz took the Cape Fear script to Scorsese and persuaded him to give Schindler’s List to Spielberg, who was Jewish. Ovitz shared with Scorsese that Schindler’s List wouldn’t be a hit but he had a chance to make a commercial hit with Cape Fear. He shared with Scorsese (via THR):
“Would you ever consider trading Schindler’s for Cape Fear? Look, you’re not Jewish, Steven is. This is a real passion project for him. I have no idea if anyone will go see it. I’m not even sure we’ll get it set up. But Cape Fear you could do with Bobby [De Niro] and it’s a movie that would attract an audience.”
Ovitz shared that after numerous calls with Spielberg and Scorsese, they agreed on the swap. Spielberg agreed to executive produce Cape Fear under Scorsese’s direction, while The Aviator director shared all his work on Schindler’s List with the E.T. director.
Steven Spielberg And Martin Scorsese Confirmed There Was No Trade
While Michael Ovitz recalled the story about the swap, Steven Spielberg shared with THR that there was never a trade. Scorsese also concurred, sharing the reason why he gave back Schindler’s List to Spielberg. Scorsese shared that he had become a controversial director after the release of The Last Temptation of Christ. He did not want to be entangled in a similar controversy with the Jewish community.
Scorsese also shared that Cape Fear was not a movie he received in a swap deal. Rather, it was a payback movie. Universal Studios only allowed him to do Last Temptation on the condition that he would help them back with Schindler’s List, Cape Fear, and Casino. Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear and Casino were movies that were made to repay the debt to the studio.
Schindler’s List is now available with a Showtime subscription on AppleTV+, while Cape Fear is available with a Starz subscription on AppleTV+.
