10 Movies That Literally Had To Reinvent Filmmaking
5. Steven Spielberg Invents The Director's Cut With Close Encounters Of A Third Kind (1977)
Another Steven Spielberg film on this list, which isn't surprising considering his influence on the film industry. Close Encounters of a Third Kind was another success for the director, generating over $300 million at the box office. However, the film had a strict budget which meant scenes were left out from post-production.
Due to the successes of the movie, Spielberg had the opportunity to share the missed content in a brand new way, by releasing a special edition/director's cut. This was the first time a film was being branded as a new edition with exclusive scenes that were unseen by the public, providing a clever opportunity to generate more revenue.
This invention prompted audiences to return to the cinemas and discover the new content for the original movie, which would enable Columbia Pictures to earn an additional $15 million for very little costs.
By the 1990s, filmmaking began to exploit this opportunity, with the director's cuts from major movies such as Aliens and Blade Runner being released and of course, George Lucas forever tinkering with Star Wars.