In 1980, Steven Spielberg officially formed his own production company, Amblin Productions, with producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy. After the success of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spielberg wanted more control over the development of his films, and in the years since, Amblin Entertainment (as it was later re-named) produced some of Hollywood's biggest hits and Oscar winners.

Named after a short film Spielberg made in 1968, Amblin operates out of the Universal Studios lot, but has released nearly 100 films through a number of studios. They have also worked with Hollywood's biggest directors and actors, crafting films in a variety of genres. The company's primary focus, however, is the development and production of Spielberg's films, and it helped him become the most successful filmmaker in Hollywood history. His 2018 film Ready Player One made him the first director to cross the $10 billion mark in box office receipts,

We've ranked the 15 best film productions from Amblin, which does not merely include Oscar-winning films. Since Amblin helped define the '80s and a PG adventure style that's gone on to influence scores of titles, we've included movies that had a major impact on pop culture and the film industry. That means some excellent films, including a number of Oscar nominees and blockbusters, didn't make the list of the top fifteen. Those "honorable mentions" include War Horse, Minority Report, The Post, Bridge of Spies, Lincoln, Catch Me If You Can, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, West Side Story, Jurassic World, Munich, and The Fabelmans.

15 The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: June 2, 1995

The Bridges of Madison County marked the first collaboration between Clint Eastwood and Amblin, a partnership they would revisit a decade later with his Iwo Jima films. This film, though not as highly regarded as some Eastwood classics, is considered a timeless (if unconventional) romance, about two older people who share a brief affair. Meryl Streep earned a Best Actress nomination for her performance opposite Eastwood, and the film continues to find new fans.

14 Gremlins (1984)

Director: Joe Dante

Release Date: June 8, 1984

Nothing says the 1980s quite like creatures portrayed by Muppets. Gremlins is a horror flick, a comedy, a monster movie, and a Christmas film rolled into one. Dante made a name for himself with horror films Piranha and The Howling, and he brought a perfect tone to the film, mixing laughs with thrills.

He admits, however, that Spielberg saved the film by suggesting a major change to the script. Originally, Gizmo turned into a gremlin in the film, and Spielberg suggested keeping him unchanged, a sympathetic character the audience could cheer for. The change made all the difference, and Gremlins became a classic 1980s film.

13 Poltergeist (1982)

Director: Tobe Hooper

Release Date: June 4, 1982

Who knew Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) could make a PG-rated horror film, one that still terrifies? Poltergeist tells the story of a suburban family haunted by a vengeful entity, which tends to happen when you build a house on top of a graveyard.

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Incorporating the childhood fears of producer Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist's iconic ghostly imagery and "They're here" catchphrase still resonates in this classic, even as modern horror films have become far more disturbing and graphic.

12 Men in Black (1997)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Release Date: July 2, 1997

Men in Black was the biggest film of 1997, and starred two of Hollywood's biggest actors at the time: Will Smith (fresh off of his Independence Day success) and Tommy Lee Jones (who had won an Oscar three years prior for The Fugitive). The duo played J and K, two government agents tasked with keeping aliens in check. The film became the highest-grossing buddy-action film of all time with $590 million worldwide, a record it still holds. It is considered one of the best sci-fi films of the 1990s, and spawned two sequels and a reboot.

11 An American Tail (1986)

Director: Don Bluth

Release Date: November 21, 1986

Loved by moviegoers but hated by critics, An American Tail doesn't exactly rank among the greatest animated films ever made. However, it did mark the first collaboration between legendary animator Don Bluth and Spielberg, and it opened the door to a number of future Amblin animation projects, so we include it here.

The collaboration between the two eventually soured, but the success of Fievel the singing mouse brought about the creation of Amblin Animation and its projects The Land Before Time (and its 57 sequels), Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Balto, and many more animated films and TV series.

10 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Release Date: June 22, 1988

Robert Zemeckis followed up Back to the Future with this half-animated, half-live action film about a world where cartoon characters live with real people. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the type of film that wouldn't have been made today, with studios so protective of their IPs these days, a pairing of Disney characters and the Looney Tunes characters seems impossible today.

It almost didn't happen then, unless Disney agreed to give equal screen time to Bugs Bunny and his friends. Credit Amblin and Disney committing to a $70 million budget - the largest at the time for any movie - to make the film the right way. Zemeckis has discussed a sequel, but surprisingly, it's one movie Disney isn't actively trying to remake or reboot currently.

9 The Goonies (1985)

Director: Richard Donner

Release Date: June 7, 1985

Based on Spielberg's story, and with a script by Chris Columbus, The Goonies is an adventure that every kid wishes to have. The late Richard Donner seemed to make great movies with ease, and here, he allows the absolute perfect cast to shine. It's no surprise that nearly every major cast member went on to have a memorable role in another classic film; they're all fantastic actors. As it turned out, the Goonies were good enough after all.

8 Cape Fear (1991)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Release Date: November 15, 1991

Cape Fear may not be among Martin Scorsese's top five films, but this disturbing crime thriller is still a must-watch. The remake of the 1962 classic J. Lee Thompson film boasts two Oscar-nominated performances, from Robert De Niro and Juliette Lewis. It's also Scorsese's only film produced under the Amblin banner, which is surprising because he and Steven Spielberg are good friends.

Spielberg was reportedly planning to direct this film, but found the film too violent and disturbing. Instead, he traded film projects with Scorsese, taking on a movie the Goodfellas director was developing at the time: Schindler's List.

7 Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: December 20, 2006

Letters from Iwo Jima is not only a fantastic, underrated film, but is also representative of Amblin's commitment to a director's vision. Clint Eastwood originally intended to make one film about the battle of Iwo Jima, presenting both sides of the conflict. However, as the film developed, Eastwood realized he needed two films, one telling the American side, and the other from the Japanese perspective.

Amblin committed to both films, with Flags of Our Fathers released in October 2006 to lackluster reviews. They, and Warner Bros., then made the last-minute, unprecedented decision to move Letters from Iwo Jima up from a February 2007 release to December 2006, to get Oscar consideration. The move worked: it received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and winning for Best Sound Editing. Martin Scorsese's The Departed won Best Picture that year.

6 Back to the Future (1985)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Release Date: July 3, 1985

While Amblin is known for its mainstream blockbusters, it should be noted how many of those films were creative risks. Back to the Future is certainly one of them, as the film's script was reportedly rejected dozens of times by every major studio. The lead actor was fired six weeks into filming, only to have Michael J. Fox sign on. The original script featured a refrigerator, not a DeLorean, as the time machine.

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Universal even wanted to call the film Spaceman from Pluto, but thankfully, Robert Zemeckis, writer Bob Gale, and producer Spielberg eventually made the film they wanted (with the title they wanted), and it became the highest-grossing film of 1985, and spawned two fantastic sequels.

5 The Color Purple (1985)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: December 18, 1985

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, The Color Purple tells the story of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a black woman living a challenging life in the early 1900s. Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning story, the film didn't get any love from the Academy, and even Spielberg was slighted, as he wasn't nominated for Best Director.

It featured the film debut for both Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, and both earned Oscar nominations, and it was the second Amblin production to get a Best Picture nomination. Amblin is also producing the remake of the film, releasing in 2023, which is based on the stage musical version of the story.

4 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: June 11, 1982

Steven Spielberg may have deeper, more profound films, but E.T. the Extra Terrestrial still stands among the best films of his career, and one of the best movies of all time. The tale of an alien stranded on Earth and the boy who befriends him is pure cinema magic, a fantasy that transports the viewer even four decades after its release. It was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning four, most notably for John Williams' iconic score.

It's also worth noting that the summer of 1982 saw the release of not only E.T., but Blade Runner, The Thing, Poltergeist, Rocky III, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, TRON, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The 80s were epic.

3 Jurassic Park (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: June 11, 1993

One of the greatest blockbusters of all time is Spielberg doing what he does best: channeling childhood wonder into a spectacular thrill ride. Jurassic Park is notable not only for its entertainment value and box office numbers, but because it changed how films were made. The decision in mid-production to shift the dinosaur effects from stop-motion animation to computer-generated effects marked a seismic shift for visual effects in film. It's a move detailed in two fantastic documentaries: Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters (available to stream on Prime Video) and Light and Magic (a series streaming on Disney+).

The visual effects still hold up, in large part to Spielberg's ability to meld visual effects with practical shots. In the hands of a lesser director, the work of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) would fall short. Jurassic Park is merely confirmation of Spielberg's ability to elevate the work of those around him, and an instance of all the right elements coming together.

2 Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: July 24, 1998

Saving Private Ryan is arguably the most affecting war film ever made. It won Spielberg his second Best Director Oscar, but in one of the greatest snubs in Oscar history, it lost the Best Picture award to Shakespeare in Love. The stunning opening sequence, recreating the D-Day invasion of Normandy, was praised by World War II veterans for its authenticity, and the film remains a grueling, if fitting tribute to the soldiers of the greatest generation. The "Tell Me I'm a Good Man" scene to end the film is still heartbreaking.

1 Schindler's List (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: December 15, 1993

The film that finally won Spielberg his first Best Director Oscar, Schindler's List is a profound cinematic experience, a story that transcends the medium. The ending, which featured the actual survivors rescued by Schindler, served as a purposeful, needed bookend to the story.

It's amazing to think that this film was released just a few months after Jurassic Park, a testament to Spielberg's amazing ability to direct great films in any genre. Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, it won seven, including Best Picture. However, both Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes lost the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards, respectively.