The One Movie Genre Steven Spielberg Still Wishes To Direct

Few directors have shaped film as an art form like Steven Spielberg. Ever since he made his feature debut with the spectacular TV movie “Duel” in 1971, he’s touched pretty much every genre you could think of, building a filmography that overshadows the output of many of his contemporaries.

But that doesn’t mean Spielberg has any plans of winding down. At a star-studded event on the Universal Lot displaying costumes and props for across his long tenure with the studio (per The Hollywood Reporter), Spielberg took to the stage to speak directly to the attendees. There, he talked about cherishing the family and community he’s been able to build over the years “to make good [things] happen” before joking that “I’m making a lot of movies and I have no plans … ever … to retire.”

To be sure, Spielberg has spent this late period of his career making the films he’s always dreamed of, like finally getting to take a crack at a musical with his “West Side Story” remake. So, when THR asked him what else he has left to tackle in his career, Spielberg admitted there is still one movie genre he has yet to try his hand at properly.

While walking through this tribute to his incredible run of films with Universal Pictures, looking back at everything from his original blockbuster “Jaws” to his Best Picture Oscar winner “Schindler’s List,” Spielberg was asked what he still looks forward to now that he’s revealed he never plans to retire. Here’s what he had to say:

“[I still have] an appetite for a Western which I will someday hopefully do. It’s something that’s eluded me for all of these decades.”

Yes, it’s true. Despite having directed more than 30 films across the last 50 years, Spielberg has yet to make a Western. Fans of his 2022 masterpiece “The Fablemans” know how important the genre is to him; after all, his idol is John Ford, the undisputed king of the Western genre. Ford’s classic movie “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” has even been cited by Spielberg as one of his favorites, while Ford himself plays a crucial role at the end of “The Fablemans” (where he’s brought to life by a terrific performance from the late, great David Lynch). In fact, at one point in the film, young Sammy Fableman (Gabriel LaBelle) is so inspired by “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” that he wrangles his friends into making a Western of their own. 

Now, it seems like it’s not a question of if but when the real Spielberg will get back on that horse for his first Western film. In the meantime, his as-yet-untitled new movie about aliens will be opening in theaters on June 12, 2026.