Steven Spielberg, despite having no involvement in the original Star Wars film, benefits financially from it due to a unique agreement made with George Lucas during the production of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
While on set, Lucas expressed his belief that Spielberg's film would outperform Star Wars. However, Spielberg disagreed, leading the two directors to strike a deal where each would receive 2.5% of the profits from the other's film.
As time passed, it became evident that Spielberg's intuition was correct; Star Wars went on to become a monumental success, generating substantial profits. Consequently, Spielberg's share of those earnings has proven to be significantly more lucrative than he initially anticipated. This unexpected financial windfall highlights how a simple agreement between two visionary filmmakers can lead to remarkable outcomes in the entertainment industry.
