The first major blockbuster to bring September 11 imagery to the multiplex, War of the Worlds has broken a lot of records on its release.

Steven Spielberg admits the War of the Worlds is the longest movie to make during his career.

"There are 400 digital shots in the movie. This is my longest schedule in about 12 years, so in that sense, this isn’t a cram course for War of the Worlds. We’re really taking our time with this," the director said before the War of Worlds was released.

The effects-laden $169 million War of the Worlds tells a story of a Marcian invasion that tears human civilization apart.

Speaking of the unique qualities of War of the Worlds, Steven Spielberg said they tried to take alien invasion movie more seriously than ever before.

"It’s not Starship Troopers and it’s certainly not Independence Day. The film is ultra-realistic, as a movie, in terms of its documentary style. With this kind of a personal story at the center of it, that gives this unique approach to the material," says Steven Spielberg.

In the first War of the Worlds it has a divine intervention in the form of a deadly virus found in the Earth’s atmosphere that kills the aliens and saves the world. But, again, in his version of War of the Worlds Steven Spielberg did it somewhat differently.

"Oh, we absolutely show the aliens. We have our own version of the ending that neither strays from nor mimics the original book. So I think we’ve hit a very satisfying compromise."

"I’m just an equal opportunity director," Spielberg laughs. "I gave the benevolent aliens a couple of shots, and now I’m going to try my hand at the worst kind. You know the kind that’s just bent on ending civilization as we know it and beginning their own." 

 Other news