Steven Spielberg's next project, The Fabelmans, is the closest thing to a coming-of-age story that audiences will get from the celebrated filmmaker. Spielberg, who helmed movies such as Jaws, E.T., Saving Private Ryan, and Jurassic Park, will give fans a look at a fictionalized version of his childhood in The Fabelmans. Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) play Mitzi and Burt Fabelman, who also serve as a version of the director's own late parents.

Spielberg was blown away by their performance, telling Fandango he often felt like he was watching his family on screen. Spielberg claimed Dano's and Williams' were so great he could see his parents "come back to life again" through their acting.

"Well, there were many moments in the telling of the story that surprised me the most, especially at times in directing Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, who were playing my mom and dad. There were times when, as they were playing their characters, I started seeing a lot of my mom and dad in them. And a couple of times I only saw my mom and dad and I had to snap myself out of it and say, 'You're a director, you need objectivity. You need that aesthetic distance between the subject matter and your own point of view.' And so I had to kind of force myself to, 'Don't get lost.' It was very indulgent. If I was going to get lost in a scene and start to see my mom and my dad come back to life again. So I had to fight that a lot. Because they were so good playing - representing those characters and [Gabriel LaBelle], too."

The Fabelmans is expected to be an award-season contender, offering a new look at the events which shaped the filmmaker's life. The official synopsis for the movie reads: "Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth."

Related: The Fabelmans: How Seth Rogen Blazed His Way Into Becoming Steven Spielberg's On-Set Wingman

Steven Spielberg Helped Gabriel LaBelle Channel His Childhood Mindset

Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy in The Fabelmans (2022)
Universal Pictures

Gabriel LaBelle is Sammy Fabelman, the main character audiences follow throughout the film's journey. Of course, Spielberg saw much of himself in Sammy and LaBelle's performance, and the director tells Fandango he was always helping the actor get into character. Whether it was home videos or family movies from his childhood, Spielberg gave LaBelle everything he needed to recreate the filmmaker's youth.

"Gabe, I gave Gabe a lot of access to home movies, family movies of myself and my parents. So he was really a member of the family by the time we shot the movie."

MovieWeb's The Fabelmans review is available now, with Julian Roman stating Michelle Williams will be "in contention for every leading actress award." Fans can see her portrayal alongside Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Judd Hirsch, Seth Rogen, Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord, Keeley Karsten, Julia Butters, and more when The Fabelmans arrives exclusively in theaters on Nov. 23.