Steven Spielberg second biggest film of 1997 behind James Cameron's "Titanic" (which topped the original "Jurassic Park" to become the new recordholder for box office receipts). His next film, "Amistad", was based on a true story (like "Schindler's List"), specifically about an African slave rebellion. Despite decent reviews from critics, it did not do well at the box office. Spielberg released "Amistad" under DreamWorks Pictures, which has produced all of his films from "Amistad" onwards with the exception of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", "The Adventures of Tintin" and "Ready Player One". His 1998 theatrical release was the
Steven Spielberg and "The Hollywood Reporter" stated that "a major new director is on the horizon." However, the film fared poorly at the box office and received a limited release. Studio producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown offered Spielberg the director's chair for "Jaws", a thriller-horror film based on the Peter Benchley novel about an enormous killer shark. Spielberg has often referred to the gruelling shoot as his professional crucible. Despite the film's ultimate, enormous success, it was nearly shut down due to delays and budget over-runs. But Spielberg persevered and finished the film. It was an enormous hit, winning three