A QUESTION I ASKED: Was Spielberg Hollywood’s #1 director according to the highest cumulative gross for a director’s entire filmography before E.T. was released in June 1982?
AI’s ANSWER: Yes, by the time E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters in June 1982, Steven Spielberg was already a massive box office force, having directed Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and was poised to become Hollywood’s #1 director, with E.T. itself becoming the highest-grossing film ever, solidifying his dominance even before Jurassic Park. While cumulative rankings shift, his early blockbusters made him the name in blockbuster filmmaking, leading to his eventual status as the highest-grossing director of all time.
Spielberg’s Status Before E.T.
- Jaws (1975): The first film to gross over $100 million in North America, making Spielberg a household name and a box office phenomenon.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): Another major success, further cementing his blockbuster appeal.
The Impact of E.T.
- E.T. (1982) became the highest-grossing film of all time, a cultural and financial milestone that catapulted Spielberg to unprecedented levels of success.
Long-Term Dominance
His early successes with Jaws, Close Encounters, and E.T. laid the foundation for his enduring reign, making him the highest-grossing director in history, a title he still holds decades later.
REFLECTIONS ON AI’s ANSWER: It’s interesting how in this particular answer, AI doesn’t even mention Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which was by far the biggest hit of 1981. It was Spielberg’s first hit since Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. So by the time E.T. was released in June of 1982, Spielberg had three movies in the top ten of the biggest money-makers of its time. Two of those movies were among the top five movies of all time. So it would have been extremely relevant for AI to include Raiders Of The Lost Ark in the answer to my question…even if that particular movie somehow wasn’t what put Spielberg on top of Hollywood.
But notice how AI answered my question.
It answered “yes”…followed by a vague statement saying he “was already a massive box office force”, then mentions Jaws and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind…but totally omitting Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Then AI continues the sentence saying E.T. itself becoming the highest-grossing film ever…which is kind of irrelevant to my question. But AI wasn’t done with their dancing as it ends the sentence with “his dominance even before Jurassic Park”. “His dominance even before Jurassic Park” was even more irrelevant to my question, as that statement completely leaves out the first three Indiana Jones movies.
And that was just one sentence full of omissions and irrelevant information. It had plenty more to say without ever giving any details as to when precisely Spielberg became Hollywood’s top director, which would have been relevant to the answer to my question.
An AI Answer To A Question I Asked
May 30, 2026 by Blogging For 20 Years • Dancing, Entertainment, Financial, History, Politics, Success, Television 0 Comments
A QUESTION I ASKED: Was Spielberg Hollywood’s #1 director according to the highest cumulative gross for a director’s entire filmography before E.T. was released in June 1982?
AI’s ANSWER: Yes, by the time E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters in June 1982, Steven Spielberg was already a massive box office force, having directed Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and was poised to become Hollywood’s #1 director, with E.T. itself becoming the highest-grossing film ever, solidifying his dominance even before Jurassic Park. While cumulative rankings shift, his early blockbusters made him the name in blockbuster filmmaking, leading to his eventual status as the highest-grossing director of all time.
Spielberg’s Status Before E.T.
The Impact of E.T.
Long-Term Dominance
His early successes with Jaws, Close Encounters, and E.T. laid the foundation for his enduring reign, making him the highest-grossing director in history, a title he still holds decades later.
REFLECTIONS ON AI’s ANSWER: It’s interesting how in this particular answer, AI doesn’t even mention Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which was by far the biggest hit of 1981. It was Spielberg’s first hit since Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. So by the time E.T. was released in June of 1982, Spielberg had three movies in the top ten of the biggest money-makers of its time. Two of those movies were among the top five movies of all time. So it would have been extremely relevant for AI to include Raiders Of The Lost Ark in the answer to my question…even if that particular movie somehow wasn’t what put Spielberg on top of Hollywood.
But notice how AI answered my question.
It answered “yes”…followed by a vague statement saying he “was already a massive box office force”, then mentions Jaws and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind…but totally omitting Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Then AI continues the sentence saying E.T. itself becoming the highest-grossing film ever…which is kind of irrelevant to my question. But AI wasn’t done with their dancing as it ends the sentence with “his dominance even before Jurassic Park”. “His dominance even before Jurassic Park” was even more irrelevant to my question, as that statement completely leaves out the first three Indiana Jones movies.
And that was just one sentence full of omissions and irrelevant information. It had plenty more to say without ever giving any details as to when precisely Spielberg became Hollywood’s top director, which would have been relevant to the answer to my question.