20 Things You Didn't Know About War Of The Worlds

1. Spielberg Started Shooting Munich The Day It Was Released

War of the Worlds 2005 Tom Cruise
DreamWorks

Because shooting and releasing one hugely ambitious film super-fast wasn't enough, Spielberg already had his follow-up Munich ready to go by the time War of the Worlds hit cinemas, to the extent that Munich literally started shooting the day the sci-fi tentpole was released in the U.S.

Crazier still, Spielberg once again shot the film under immense time constraints, with Munich releasing less than six months after cameras started rolling.

Though Munich obviously had far less of a VFX outlay than War of the Worlds, given the movie's three-month shoot and beefy 163-minute runtime, that's still a terrifyingly tight deadline to release a polished, awards-baiting movie.

Again proving himself a hardened vet, though, Munich released to rave reviews and received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.