Nominated for two Oscars this year, Steven Spielberg says he's not holidayed since the last two and half years
Nominated for two Oscars this year, Steven Spielberg says he's not holidayed since the last two and half years
War Horse, which earned six nominations at the forthcoming Academy Awards, releases today. A quick Q and A with the producer and director, Steven Spielberg...
Having won the Academy Awards thrice before, does it feel any different with War Horse earning six nominations, including one for Best Picture?
I'm thrilled with our multiple nominations for The Help also, besides those for War Horse. It's the first time I'm experiencing two Best Picture nominations in the same year. One is a high honour, while the other is humbling and yet very exciting. 
It must have been a tough task getting the horse to move the way you wanted for the movie?
I was hoping we would be able to get it all but I didn't think we could. So I did storyboard the entire film. And I also pre-visualised it so that the trainers could tell me whether this was impossible. Bobby Lovgren was our Horse Whisperer, and he had a fabulous team that understood how to connect with the horses.
War Horse is essentially Michael Morpugo's book that later inspired a play. So what prompted you to make it into a movie?
Kathy Kennedy (co-producer of the film) saw the play at West End in London and told me how she was moved by it. Then Stacy Snider, head of DreamWorks flew over and concurred with Kathy. We knew that if we were going to tell the story, it had to be with real horses. So we preemptively made a bid to buy it just based on the story, which really appealed to me.
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Reportedly, you have horses on your property. Do you indulge in horse-riding often?
That's why my back is out today. I did ride a little bit in the mid-1980s and got my back hurt. So I don't ride anymore.u00a0
Lastly, what does a busy filmmaker like you do in your time off from the studio?
I've had no free time for the last two and half years. But yes, I like to play with my kids; and I always have time for them.u00a0 That's always been my priority.
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