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Steven Spielberg was already at the top of his game in the early ’90s following the release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and he seemed untouchable. At the same time, Julia Roberts had just exploded into superstardom after Pretty Woman. Hollywood did not get the chance to have enough of her, so when it was announced that the two powerhouses were teaming up for Hook in 1991, the expectations could not have been higher.
Robin Williams had landed the lead role of Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman had another legendary performance waiting in the wings as Hook, and Julia Roberts flitted in to portray Tinkerbell. Great talent, right? It should have been an enjoyable, magical ride. Instead, it became a production Spielberg would rather forget. And he’s made that clear more than once.
Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg and Robin Williams on the set of HOOK (1991). pic.twitter.com/r7bgxSCsdw
— All The Right Movies’ Podcast (@ATRMPodcast) February 22, 2023
Hook’s Box Office Success Didn’t Match The Expectations
The film eventually hit theaters in December, earning a decent chunk at the box office. It was not a flop, earning $119 million in domestic market and $300 million worldwide on a $70 million budget (per Box Office Mojo), but it wasn’t the home run people expected either. Audiences didn’t rush to it the way they had for Spielberg’s earlier blockbusters, and critics weren’t kind either.
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Renowned film reviewer Roger Ebert famously called it bloated and clunky, and Spielberg himself has never pretended to love the final product. Even years later, he admitted he didn’t feel at ease making it, lost confidence midway through, and leaned too heavily on big sets to mask the uncertainty. Unfortunately, things were no better behind the scenes, per Collider.
On-Set Tension Between Steven Spielberg & Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts was reportedly having a rough personal time. She had just gotten out of the engagement with Kiefer Sutherland and had to deal with that while performing as a whimsical fairy. According to crew accounts, she allegedly became more distant, restricted herself to her trailer for long periods, and was late to set. After some time, Spielberg was apparently thinking about replacing Roberts, but it was too close to the schedule to make a big shake-up without creating a separate issue.
As a result, tensions built and lingered well after filming wrapped. Spielberg gave carefully worded but cold interviews afterward. He said working with her was unfortunate timing, never really defending her or addressing the rumors head-on. Meanwhile, Roberts noticed, and years later, she spoke openly about how hurt she felt by Spielberg’s silence. She had expected support, but what she got felt more like a quiet shove.
“I couldn’t believe that this person that I knew and trusted was actually hesitating to come to my defense. It was a hard lesson to learn. It was the first time that I felt I had a turncoat in my midst,” she said in an interview with Vanity Fair in 1999.
Julia Roberts talks about how she did not get on with Steven Spielberg when working on HOOK. pic.twitter.com/ABmlcbDl8E
— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) November 3, 2024
Steven Spielberg & Julia Roberts Never Worked Together Again
Since then, they have never worked together again. In a conversation with Vogue many years later, director Richard Curtis admitted he was a little nervous when he first met Roberts, though she turned out to be measured and self-protective, but not unkind.
According to her, being guarded on set helped keep her safe. Maybe that caution came from experiences like Hook, or maybe it was always there. Either way, the spark she shared with Steven Spielberg fizzled out almost as quickly as it started.
In the end, their story is just another entry in Hollywood’s long book of director-actor collisions. It didn’t end in dramatic walkouts but in quiet distance and a shared silence that’s lasted for decades. Both moved on and neither looked back. And Hook, for all its flaws, remains the unlikely monument to that brief, broken pairing.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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