Steven Spielberg’s Original version of Interstellar showed China beating America in a space race. Directed by none other than Christopher Nolan, Interstellar is hailed as a modern masterpiece of science fiction cinema. While Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar delivered a mind-bending, visually stunning epic, it was originally Steven Spielberg who was supposed to direct the film.
Spielberg’s version of Interstellar would have been significantly different from the film that was eventually made. From not having Matt Damon to China leading the space race, it was a different story altogether.
Steven Spielberg’s Version of Interstellar Had Many Differences
While Christopher Nolan‘s Interstellar remains a cinematic marvel in its own right, it’s intriguing to consider what the film might have been like under the visionary direction of Steven Spielberg.
One of the biggest differences between Spielberg’s and Nolan’s versions of Interstellar is the absence of Matt Damon’s character, Dr. Mann. In Nolan’s film, Mann is a brilliant scientist who leads a mission to a distant planet, but he is forced to abandon his crew when he realizes that the planet is not habitable. Spielberg’s version of the film does not feature this character at all.
Another striking difference in Spielberg’s Interstellar was the portrayal of China’s dominance in the global space race, as opposed to the American-centric perspective in Nolan’s version. According to the script, Cooper and Brand arrived on the ice planet to discover Chinese astronauts had already arrived 30 years prior but had all died.
It is interesting to speculate how Spielberg’s version of Interstellar would have turned out. Would it have been a more optimistic and hopeful film than Nolan’s? Would it have been a more faithful adaptation of Jonathan Nolan’s original screenplay? It is impossible to say for sure. However, one thing is certain: Spielberg’s version of Interstellar would have been a unique and fascinating film experience.
Steven Spielberg Almost Directed Interstellar
Steven Spielberg has directed some of the greatest movies of all time. From Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan to Catch Me If You Can, he boasts of having such a strong filmography.
However, there are many films that have almost helmed. One such is Interstellar.
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that the film was originally developed by Lynda Obst, who along with Cal Tech astrophysicist, Kip Throne, thought of the concept of this after desperately wanting to make a film that walked the line of hypothetically real concept and science fiction.
“The project was originally developed by Lynda Obst. She’s great friends with Kip Thorne, an astrophysicist at Cal Tech, and their dream was to make a science-fiction film where the more outlandish concepts were derived from real-world science. They originally developed the film with Steven Spielberg at Paramount and they hired my brother to come up with a story and a script. He and I talk about everything, whether or not we’re working on it together, so I’d been hearing about it over the four years he worked on it”
Later, it went to Christopher Nolan and became a cinematic marvel.
Watch Interstellar on Prime Video.
