Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946) is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Spielberg is considered as one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era, as well as being viewed as one of the most popular and influential directors and producers in film history.[5] In a career spanning more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. In later years, his films began addressing humanistic issues such as the Holocaust (in Schindler's List), the transatlantic slave trade (in Amistad), war (in Empire of the Sun, Saving Private Ryan, and War Horse), and terrorism (in Munich). He is one of the co-founders of DreamWorks Studios.
His other notable films include Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones film series, and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).[6] Three of Spielberg's films—Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993)—achieved box office records, originated and came to epitomize the blockbuster movie.
The unadjusted gross of all Spielberg-directed films exceeds $8.5 billion worldwide. His personal net worth is estimated to be more than $3 billion.[2]