He sent the article to screenwriters Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, and off they went.
Spielberg made the movie after the TV movieDuel, which prompted the town to send him feature scripts.
However,Sugarland Expresswas the movie he wanted to make.
SUGARLAND EXPRESS, William Atherton, Goldie Hawn, Michael Sacks, 1974Everett Collection
Universal at the time was being run by Jennings Lang.
The filmmaker would promptly reteam with Brown and Zanuck forJaws.
-Uni wouldnt make the movie without a star.
Goldie Hawn was Spielbergs first, and his producers were able to hook her.
Why Hawn as the damsel in distress?
She has a pure and honest heart, said Spielberg, The movie wouldnt have gotten made without her.
Both Hawn and Spielberg were in their early 20s.
Legendary DP Vilmos Zsigmond was Spielbergs first choice.
The director simply phoned up theMcCable and Mrs. Millercinematographer.
They shared the same taste in movies.
Zigmond shotSugarland Expressin daylight, sans lights.
There was a disagreement with the studio over the ending.
Spielberg discussed reshooting the ending with the scribes who told him hed be crazy to do so.
They talked me immediately out of it, said Spielberg.
Spielberg protested as far as he could.
The studio got their way and people still didnt come out to see the movie!
Spielberg loved working with Brown and Zanuck.
When Zanuck first watchedSugarland Express,he came into the screening with a big notepad and a pencil.
When the movie ended, he handed the notes to Spielberg, and they were all blank.
Ill never forget that.
Their assistant let him read it, and Spielberg soaked up the novel in a weekend.
I was floored by it, he said.
The rest is $477M-plus box office grossing history.
Trivia: Richard Zanucks son is inSugarland Express,he plays Baby Langston.
Did Spielberg think of his movie during the O.J.
I said, Shit, theyre stealing my thunder!'
