22. Jaws Nearly Ruined His Career
The production went months over schedule, and millions of dollars over budget, plus Spielberg had to deal with the fickleness of shooting on a beach. One of the biggest challenges was creating a dummy shark that would, despite the ocean’s tides, stay below water and occasionally surface. Spielberg described the experience as a professional crucible, but he persevered and finished the film. Hollywood hasn’t been the same since.