# The 1962 John Wayne movie that inspired Steven Spielberg’s biggest hit: “The high watermark”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1962-john-wayne-movie-that-inspired-steven-spielbergs-biggest-hit-the-high-watermark/
- Published: 2026-09-29T00:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-29T01:48:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1962-john-wayne-movie-that-inspired-steven-spielbergs-biggest-hit/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Spielberg named *Hatari!* as a key *Jurassic Park* influence.
- He admired its depiction of humans facing nature.
- *Jurassic Park* prioritised spectacle over the novel’s horror.

## Summary

Steven Spielberg cited the 1962 John Wayne film *Hatari!* as the main inspiration for *Jurassic Park*, calling it the “high watermark” for depicting humans confronting nature. The connection helps explain why Spielberg’s blockbuster emphasises visual spectacle and adventure, despite the darker, more horror-focused elements of Michael Crichton’s novel.

In *The Making of Jurassic Park*, Spielberg also named *Jaws*, *Raiders of the Lost Ark* and nature documentaries as reference points. He admired *Hatari!* for its ambitious portrayal of people and animals, and the article says that approach can be seen in the way *Jurassic Park* frames human encounters with dinosaurs.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.