How do you pack the extraordinary lifetime achievements of a director like Steven Spielberg onto one magazine cover? The answer is, you don’t. Empire’s Spielberg Takeover issue, with editorial input from the man himself, is out this week, and instead of one cover we’ve got five different designs celebrating the legendary filmmaker’s greatest works.
First up is Jaws, the film that defined the summer blockbuster when it snuck up from the depths and dragged unsuspecting audiences into its box office feeding frenzy in 1975.
![Empire - April 2018 covers Spielberg Takeover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-images/articles/5a8a9b67850bca3f3b3423f1/Cover1_Jaws_Newsstand.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Then there’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, the film that gave us cinema’s ultimate archaeologist heartthrob Indiana Jones, and took Spielberg’s visionary adventure filmmaking to the next level.
![Empire - April 2018 covers Spielberg Takeover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-images/articles/5a8a9b67850bca3f3b3423f1/Cover2_RaidersOfTheLostArk_Newsstand.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Third is E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, the magical and emotional ode to childhood that touched hearts the world over with its big glowing finger.
![Empire - April 2018 covers Spielberg Takeover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-images/articles/5a8a9b67850bca3f3b3423f1/Cover3_ET_Newsstand.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Then it’s Saving Private Ryan, which re-defined how a war film could look and — more importantly — feel, combining the blockbuster smarts and historical reverence that had previously permeated his career.
![Empire - April 2018 covers Spielberg Takeover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-images/articles/5a8a9b67850bca3f3b3423f1/Cover4_SavingPrivateRyan_Newsstand.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
The final cover is for Ready Player One — Spielberg’s triumphant return to action-adventure blockbusters, and a technological leap forwards into a brave new world of virtual reality.
![Empire - April 2018 covers Spielberg Takeover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-images/articles/5a8a9b67850bca3f3b3423f1/Cover5_ReadyPlayerOne_Newsstand.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
The issue hits the shelves later this week on Thursday 22 February — be sure to pick up a copy to read an extensive celebration of Hollywood’s greatest ever blockbuster director. Subscribers, keep an eye out for your issues — with this stunning subs cover by Paul Shipper — which should hit your doormats any day now.
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