12 Movies That Were Almost Directed By Steven Spielberg

12. The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three

The project in a nutshell: An adaptation of the 1973 thriller novel by John Godey, about a hostage crisis on a New York subway train.

When was Spielberg attached: Early in the film's development, shortly after completing his first theatrical feature The Sugarland Express.

Who ended up directing it: John Sargent, in 1974, with Walter Matthau in the lead.

What happened: United Artists head of production of the time, David Picker, recognised Spielberg's potential on the strength of The Sugarland Express and his debut TV movie Duel. Reportedly, Picker considered The Taking of Pelham One Two Three "director-proof," and thought it better to save Spielberg for something that would really flex his creative muscles.

Spielberg soon found just such a project in Jaws - and we all know how that turned out. Whilst The Taking of Pelham One Two Three was a success (and was later remade by Tony Scott in 2009), it didn't have anything like the same impact.

There are some Jaws connections, however. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three co-stars Robert Shaw, who would later play Quint in Spielberg's film; and 12 years later, director John Sargeant would helm the ill-conceived Jaws: The Revenge.