15 Movies You Never Realized Were Made by Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is one of the most prolific and successful film directors in history. But his directorial accomplishments — imagine making films as good and as varied as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Schindler’s List, and have neither one be your best work (arguably) — can sometimes overshadow the enormous amount of stuff Spielberg has made beyond what’s listed on his IMDb director’s filmography.

For example: He’s contributed to documentaries on subjects ranging from Chuck Jones to Ray Harryhausen to the Holocaust. He‘s produced TV series like Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and SeaQuest DSV. He’s made cameos in a slew of movies. (Did you spot him in Vanilla Sky?) The dude has helped create theme park attractions. He’s hosted theme park attractions! He’s made video games. Whether he gets credit for it or not, he’s kind of a renaissance man.

And he’s produced tons of films that he didn’t direct as well. A few of those movies are notable as Steven Spielberg productions; Spielberg famously produced (and, according to an oft-debunked urban legend, may have directed some of) Poltergeist. He was heavily involved in the two Gremlins films (and the current animated series). He also produced (with Martin Scorsese!) Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. 

But a lot of Spielberg productions are known as the works of other filmmakers first and Spielberg projects a distant second, or maybe not at all. Like the 15 movies listed below. They were all produced (or executive produced) by Spielberg. Some went on to become huge blockbuster franchises; a couple were among Spielberg’s rare financial missteps. But hey, nobody’s perfect. Not even the guy who directed Raiders of the Lost Ark and Schinder’s List.

READ MORE: Every Steven Spielberg (Directed) Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best