Spielberg Goes Small

Is Steven Spielberg--king of the special-effects extravaganzas--getting ready to make small, intimate movies?

An announcement is upcoming, sources tell us, that Spielberg will be teaming with a New York filmmaker in a new production company that will specialize in smaller ventures.

When contacted by Outtakes, Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy confirmed that the director of such monster hits as “E.T.” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” does have plans to launch a company apart from his own Amblin Ent., to develop projects that “don’t have the usual opportunities (to get made).” In other words: less mainstream films.

According to Levy, the company will be based in lower Manhattan. He said he couldn’t name Spielberg’s partner in the new company until negotiations are complete. But he did reveal that the partner would be someone with whom Spielberg has worked.

Remember that Spielberg--who got his theatrical start with the modest “Sugarland Express” (1974)--teamed with New York-based Martin Scorsese to encourage Columbia Pictures to restore that other small, intimate picture, “Lawrence of Arabia.”