Having spent the previous quarter century working for Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger has typically visited The Milky Method, the Los Angeles restaurant as soon as run by the director’s mom, Leah Adler (who died in 2017), and her second husband, Bernie Adler. Krieger additionally knew Spielberg’s late father, Arnold, and knew that Bernie and Arnold had as soon as been shut pals, however had no concept {that a} younger Steven Spielberg had found the blooming relationship between his mom and the household buddy when making house motion pictures as a part of his obsession with newbie filmmaking. This very private story would come to gentle when making the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which Krieger produced alongside Spielberg and Tony Kushner, who co-wrote the script with the director.
Krieger started her tenure with Spielberg as his assistant earlier than rising via the ranks (affiliate producer, co-producer) to turn into his full-fledged, go-to producer when Kathleen Kennedy left for Lucasfilm. The Fabelmans marks her fourth greatest image nomination, after Bridge of Spies, The Put up and West Facet Story.
What’s the hardest factor about Steven Spielberg as a boss?
Properly, he calls for excellence on a regular basis. And he’s insatiable. Maintaining with Steven, who’s 76 years outdated, is sort of inconceivable for me as a 53-year-old. He’s on it. He reads scripts quicker than any human being on the planet. He’s watched all the pieces. He is aware of everyone within the enterprise, together with the up-and-comers.
How did The Fabelmans come about?
I knew that Leah had married Bernie, who was Arnold’s greatest buddy, however I didn’t know the complete story of the tenting journey and the way Steven had found [their relationship]; when Steven began speaking about it, that was new to me. I feel that Steven was all the time going to make this film. I simply don’t assume he even knew when he was going to make it, and I feel that his dad and mom wished him to make it, however on the identical time, I feel they had been in all probability just a little nervous about it. His mother all the time mentioned, “Steve, when are you going to tell our story?”
Steven and Tony Kushner mentioned the thought of creating this movie for a really very long time. What was your position in pushing alongside the method?
Occasionally Tony would say to me, “Steven and I just met, and we talked about his family story again.” I might simply encourage the 2 of them to proceed to work via it and write it down. I used to be extra on the supportive facet as a result of in my thoughts, if Steven was by no means fascinated by making this film, I might be tremendous with him by no means making it. But it surely sounded prefer it was an important story for him to inform, and so they labored on a really lengthy transcript. That was in all probability in March or April of 2020. I feel they had been simply speaking it via. They’d additionally talked about it after we had been making West Facet Story. Earlier than, they talked about it throughout Munich and Lincoln. Throughout West Facet Story, Steven would regale Tony with tales. I feel in that second, they had been like, “OK, let’s actually meet and start writing this down.” Tony would ask Steven questions, Steven would reply. They had been simply arising with what the story could possibly be. Then I feel they put it apart for a bit. After which in October of 2020, I might say, they began having Zoom conferences three days every week, two hours a day. And in eight weeks, by December, there was an precise script that I held in my palms and skim.
How completely different was it interacting with him on this film versus others, provided that the story is loosely based mostly on his childhood?
He was extra susceptible and uncooked, and it felt like all his armor was stripped away. It simply felt like he was able to see what the actors would convey to him and what he would convey to the day. And what ended up being the end result was actually magic with all these actors and Steven collectively.
And what was the largest problem for you in making this movie?
Making a movie throughout a pandemic and maintaining everyone protected and maintaining the film on schedule. By the start of January [2021], we had been like, OK, how shortly can we prep this film and make it amid COVID? We had been casting by March and April. After which we shot it in L.A. as a result of we didn’t need to be touring in the course of the pandemic. We might have made the film in New York or New Jersey for the Jersey stuff. We might have gone to Arizona and we might have completed up in Northern California, however we shot the entire thing in Southern California.
Steven hasn’t introduced what he’ll make subsequent. Any ideas?
Properly, now we have a undertaking known as Bullitt with Bradley Cooper [the 1968 original starred Steve McQueen] that Josh Singer is writing proper now. That’s positively one thing we need to make that Steven will direct, however it’s a little bit of a methods away. I feel will probably be wonderful.
Do you assume that could possibly be his subsequent directing undertaking?
It could possibly be, however once more, there’s no script. Till we’re strolling on the ground, I don’t know what we’re making. We’ve got different issues that we’ve been consistently taking a look at. As everyone is aware of, he’s on the lookout for a Western. He just lately mentioned on a podcast that he would do a restricted collection, and that if a Mare of Easttown got here to him, he would’ve directed that.
Did you name him and ask him what the hell he was speaking about?
I did. “You’re really going to do TV?” I requested. He mentioned, “If it’s as good as Mare of Easttown, I absolutely will.” Now everyone’s been sending us restricted collection previously a number of weeks. We’ve got six to 10. I imply, that’s loads.
The Fabelmans, like so many different grownup dramas on this yr’s awards race, struggled badly on the field workplace. That should have been powerful.
Anemic field workplace numbers are all the time unhappy. No one desires that. We would like the trade to be again, and I need to make motion pictures that individuals my age need to see. Steven doesn’t actually take a look at field workplace grosses. He tries to remain away. I can’t think about that he doesn’t comprehend it, however he and I’ve by no means spoken in regards to the numbers.
It’s no secret that Steven is a large proponent of theatrical. Had been you and he OK when The Fabelmans went to premium VOD because it nonetheless performed in theaters?
Properly, I feel we wished extra individuals to have the ability to see the film. And there are folks that had been nonetheless not going to the films due to the pandemic. And so this allowed individuals to have the ability to watch it of their house.
What number of instances did you say no earlier than agreeing to be Steven’s assistant?
I turned down the job 3 times. Once they known as, I assumed, “There’s no way I’m answering somebody’s phone.” I used to be 24 or 25 on the time. And the supply stored coming again round. I assumed, “You know what, I’ll do the job for two to four years to learn about the industry from beginning to end.” Then I might return and be higher at publicity and advertising, having identified how the entire sausage works. I all the time thought, “If this job gets boring or it’s too much for me, I’m getting out and I’ll leave.” However I by no means did. It was all the time completely different. With Steven, there’s so many issues he does and is concerned in. It by no means, ever will get boring. I had Kathy Kennedy and Steven Spielberg as my mentors. I don’t know that they had been ever grooming me to be a producer, however I felt like I turned increasingly integral within the day-to-day. Then, when Kathy left to go run Lucasfilm, there was a gap there. After we made Bridge of Spies, Steven made me a producer on that movie. And I’ve produced all the pieces for Steven since.
Interview edited for size and readability.
This story first appeared in a Feb. stand-alone situation of The Hollywood Reporter journal. To obtain the journal, click here to subscribe.
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