A woman is stepping behind the camera to help tell Steven Spielberg’s story. Deadline reports that Susan Lacy will direct and produce “Spielberg,” a documentary set to debut October 7 on HBO. The Emmy-and Peabody-winning filmmaker will be tackling Spielberg’s career, which spans nearly five decades and includes mega hits like “Jurassic Park,” “Jaws,” and “E.T.”
Spielberg will narrate the doc. Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchett, Drew Barrymore, Laura Dern, Holly Hunter, and Kathleen Kennedy are among the interviewees who will be sharing anecdotes and insights. Produced by Emma Pildes and Jessica Levin, “Spielberg” is being edited by Deborah Peretz.
It’s especially great to see a woman at the helm of the project — and other women in key roles behind the scenes — since Spielberg was recently at the center of some controversy when “Pitch Perfect 2” director Elizabeth Banks pointed out that his movies overwhelmingly feature male protagonists (“The Color Purple” and “The BFG” are exceptions). Happily Spielberg has a biopic of photojournalist Lynsey Addario starring Jennifer Lawrence on the way, and he’s also directing “The Papers,” a drama depicting the Washington Post’s involvement in uncovering the truth about the Pentagon Papers. Kay Graham was the paper’s publisher at the time, and the first female Fortune 500 CEO in the U.S. Meryl Streep will be portraying Graham in the film.
Lacy’s credits include docs “Judy Garland: By Myself” and “Joni Mitchell: A Woman of Heart and Mind.”
