20 Things You Didn't Know About War Of The Worlds
17. It Went Into Production Two Years Earlier Than Planned
When Spielberg and Cruise were putting the movie together, it was widely expected that they would shoot in 2006 for a 2007 release, with Spielberg first planning to shoot his prestige thriller Munich.
But after Cruise read David Koepp's script and loved it, he suggested that Spielberg push back Munich's production, with the star agreeing to similarly push back Mission: Impossible III.
Spielberg accepted, at which point production crews were hastily set up to prepare for the shoot, with the director even bringing many of his planned Munich crew aboard to work on War of the Worlds.
Due to the hastened schedule, pre-production lasted just three months rather than the typical six for a blockbuster of this scale, though in later interviews Spielberg insisted they weren't left wanting for time.