Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg only worked together once – in the 1991 film “Hook” – and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for either of them. Readers will be reminded that “Hook” is a sequel to J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” story, which imagines what might happen if Pan left Neverland, grew up and started a family. In Spielberg’s vision, Pan would change his name to Peter Banning (Robin Williams), become a boring lawyer, and forget all about his eternal youth as the child of a flying fairy.
However, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) has not forgotten, and sends his pirates to Earth to kidnap the Banning children in order to bring him back to Neverland. The adult Peter is kidnapped by Tinkerbell (Roberts) and forcibly dragged back to Eden. Peter hates Neverland at first – the Lost Boys are too rowdy – but gradually he begins to remember his time as Peter Pan, and eventually he begins to return to his former self.
“Hook” is one of the worst films in Spielberg’s filmography, and the reviews were not great; it only has a 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Hook”, however, was a massive hit, and a very specific segment of the population – ie: people who were 11 years old in 1991 – relishes it nostalgically for its light-hearted thrills and exciting production design. It is loved and hated in equal measure.
It’s certainly not well remembered that Roberts and Spielberg got along, as rumor mills have been saying for years, they had a stormy relationship on set. In an episode of “60 Minutes”, Spielberg said that it was “a tough time for us to work together”, which is the most diplomatic way to describe a bad working relationship. It seems that a lot of the squabbling between them stemmed from Roberts’ own real-life relationship with actor Kiefer Sutherland.
Julia Roberts in Tinkerhall
Roberts heard Spielberg interviewed on “60 Minutes” and commented on it in a 1999 interview with Vanity Fair. She had also heard rumors that she was “difficult” on set – a traditional generic term used in Hollywood to demean actresses – and that she had earned the nickname “Tinkerhall” on set. It’s hard to say how many of those rumors are true, but Roberts was upset that her director didn’t defend her. Vanity Fair, Roberts said:
“Hands to God: No one thing What I read was true, and it hurt my feelings. Because not only did it tarnish my image, but it was a situation where people who knew the truth talked about it in a way that was not fair. False. […] I saw this and my eyes popped out. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t be sure if the person I knew and trusted was really me hesitation For coming to my rescue. […] It was a hard lesson. It was the first time I felt I had a turncoat in my midst.”
Spielberg was probably aware of Roberts’ relationship troubles at the time, but it appears he wasn’t very sympathetic. Filming on “Hook” began on February 19, 1991, and went way over schedule. It was already supposed to take 76 days to shoot, but the delays took 40 extra days. The budget ballooned to $80 million and everyone was probably upset. Roberts and Sutherland were scheduled to be married, and they had chosen June 14 as their wedding date. If “Hook” had been finished on time, it would have wrapped on May 4. The 40 extra days meant filming finished on June 13.
It’s probably no coincidence that Roberts and Sutherland called off the wedding and broke up on June 13.
Difficult working conditions
The making of “Hook” was likely putting pressure on Roberts and Sutherland. One can understand why Roberts looked upset during filming; she was. The movie was taking up a lot of her time, and she was struggling with an upcoming marriage … or a possible breakup.
Joseph McBride’s book “Spielberg: A Biography” also reports that Roberts was overwhelmed by other factors as well. It seems that Dustin Hoffman was extremely irritable, wanted to follow the rules of acting, and would extend shooting days by several hours. Also, because Tinkerbell is only a few inches tall, many of Roberts’ scenes were filmed in front of a green screen or on large sets, which often took her away from her co-stars. It’s easy to feel isolated when you shoot certain scenes with other actors. Roberts probably felt lonely, nervous, and very anxious, and Spielberg wasn’t there to bring her back.
Spielberg was also upset by the delay, so he didn’t take the time to make sure Roberts was okay. Instead of talking it out, the director and actress had a huge fight, which led to hostility and resentment between them. When Roberts saw the “60 Minutes” interview, she became angry. Neither Spielberg nor Roberts have explicitly said they refuse to work together… but of course they haven’t done so since 1991.
Whether or not the two still hold grudges against one another is a matter of speculation, and there’s every reason to believe they’ll put the bitterness between them to rest. But unless Spielberg casts Roberts in another project, we can assume he’s still feeling a little raw about his “Hook” experience.
