20 Clever Easter Eggs Hidden in Steven Spielberg Movies

The cinema of Steven Spielberg is vast. Not only from a commercial point of view, but his whole career is diverse enough to render the style of a theme park (a comparison completely unrelated to Martin Scorsese’s comments about the MCU and DCEU), an encyclopedia, and yes, history. He’s built an identity, made up a cinematic language with his mashup of talented crew members, and changed the Hollywood landscape for all eternity. From a commercial point of view, every director wishes they were as successful as Spielberg was when he released his most important movies.

This success has also provided him with creative freedom. He can safely borrow and discard pop culture references because he’s behind many of them. Proof of this was the adaptation of Ready Player One, in which the producing studio surely had to pay for the use of some IP, but those who accepted proposals trusted the product enough to do so with their eyes closed.

What are Easter Eggs?

Easter eggs are details, often very secret and hard to find, that are put in movies where another film or character is referenced. They can be lines of dialogue, objects in the background, you name it. It takes a very skillful viewer to find them, and they’re not in every film. So don’t go thinking they have to be part of movies, because not all directors can associate themselves with other movies as cleverly as Spielberg can.

When it comes to these winks, nods, and references, Spielberg is undoubtedly one of the best at the craft. They are the basis for the treasure hunt we went on in order to find the most clever Easter eggs in his films.

The following list may contain major spoilers.

20 The Shining Scene – Ready Player One (2018)

Based on the book of the same name by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One tells the story of a futuristic society in which everyone’s hooked online to play their favorite game all the time. The OASIS is a virtual reality simulator created by James Halliday, and Wade Watts is an expert at the game. Also known as Parzival, his avatar’s name, Watts is on a search to find the golden Easter egg that Halliday left hidden in the game before his death, and he will have to find it before the evil corporation controlling the world does. To put you in context of the movie, we’ll let you know that Halliday was an ’80s fan, and he made sure to include in his game just about every pop culture reference of the decade. This makes the very entertaining film a collection of nods that you won’t have any trouble finding.

Spielberg Convinced Us We Were Back in the Overlook

The Easter egg in question, and one of thousands in the film, comes when Parzival and company continue their search for the keys. They must enter a recreation of the Overlook Hotel, made famous by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. You will rub your eyes at the marvel of such a recreation.

Ready Player One is not exactly a subtle film for Easter eggs, but the whole sequence inside the Overlook makes for a great nod. It wasn’t part of Cline’s book (in the book, the challenge references WarGames), so Spielberg decided to add a homage to one of his friends in the form of the film’s best sequence. It’s all here: the elevators with blood, the creepy twins, and even the old lady in the bathtub. In case a sequel ever gets made, this will possibly be topped. But how? You can stream Ready Player One on Netflix.

Watch the trailer for Ready Player One here.

19 Captain Hook’s Hat – Hook (1991)

Hook is Spielberg’s continuation of the original Peter Pan story, Peter and Wendy, by J.M. Barrie. In the film, Pan has turned into a modern-day lawyer called Peter Banning and has forgotten his time at Neverland. He forgot his entire childhood. However, his children, whom he had with Wendy’s granddaughter, get taken by his nemesis, Captain Hook, and Peter is forced to return to Neverland in order to save them.

The Omen No One Saw

In the film, Captain Hook’s crocodile stands as a tribute to his past when he defeated the animal who simply wanted to eat him. However, his demise comes at the hands of the falling crocodile statue after Hook gets a bit greedy. This horrible form of death could be predicted by Hook’s hat, which, at the edge, has some ornaments that eerily resemble the teeth of a crocodile.

Hook is one of the most important children’s movies of the ’90s and definitely an underrated Spielberg movie, so why not check it out and see this Easter egg for yourself? You can stream Hook on Hulu.

Watch the trailer for Hook here.

18 Dennis Nedry Watches Something Quite Familiar – Jurassic Park (1993)

In Jurassic Park, millionaire entrepreneur John Hammond has found a way to clone dinosaurs and bring them back to life. Contrary to what everyone thinks, he believes in the idea of a theme park in which the huge and dangerous creatures can be displayed for the whole world to see. When he brings some scientists and his grandchildren for a test drive, things don’t go well. A thunderstorm and one employee’s greed will prove that Hammond should have given this more thought.

A Nice Wink at Himself

One of the Easter eggs in Jurassic Park comes in the hands of Dennis Nedry, the IT whiz who causes the park’s systems to fail because he steals some dino DNA and wants to escape. Before going on the run, Nedry is seen in front of his many monitors, nervous and trying to get past the boredom of waiting. If you take a good look at one of the monitors on the left side of the screen, you will see that Nedry is actually streaming a movie! And that is none other than Spielberg’s Jaws. Netflix or the internet weren’t exactly a thing back in 1993, so chances are Nedry was just digitally bootlegging stuff.

30 years after its release, Jurassic Park remains as important as it was back then.

Watch the trailer for Jurassic Park here.

17 R2-D2 is on the Mothership – Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is the story of humankind’s encounters with extraterrestrials, told from the perspective of several witnesses. The main one is Roy Neary, a father and husband who sees his entire life crumble down after the first encounter and doesn’t stop until finding some answers in the third act when aliens finally arrive and reveal their true purpose. With him is Jillian, the mother of Barry, who got abducted earlier in the film and just wants to get her boy back.

One of the Many Signs of George Lucas and Spielberg’s Friendship

One of the best movies ever made about UFOs, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, of course, features state-of-the-art special effects, and it was the first movie to show a large-scale ship with countless details. When the mothership emerges from behind the mountain, right as Jillian looks up, you can find one of the film’s Easter eggs. None other than Star Wars‘ cute android R2-D2 can be seen upside down, stuck on the edge of the ship. It was a nice nod to George Lucas, Spielberg’s longtime friend. But this also makes you think: Can there actually be a connection? You can stream Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Mubi.

Watch the trailer for Close Encounters of the Third Kind here.

Related: Every Steven Spielberg Movie From the ‘80s, Ranked

16 C3P0 and R2-D2 in the Sarcophagus – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, archeology professor and adventurer Indiana Jones is commissioned with a very dangerous task. He must find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do, and indulge in experiments with the occult. This brings Indiana, Marion, and Sallah to Egypt, where they will get to the Ark first by using their wit, Indy’s talent, and sheer luck. However, it won’t be easy, as Belloq, the specialist working for the Nazis, won’t give up so easily.

Once Again, a Wink to Lucas

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a mind-blowing action-adventure film that stands among the best in Spielberg’s entire catalog. It’s not without its Easter eggs, a pattern that would be repeated all throughout the entire franchise. George Lucas, the man behind Star Wars, came up with the concept and pitched it to Spielberg, who was kind of disappointed because he wasn’t able to make a James Bond film.

So, Spielberg made sure to include something from his friend in the film. Right as Indy is about to move the large stone that sits on top of the ark, you can see the droids R2-D2 and C3P0 in the hieroglyphs in one of the columns. The image is there for a microsecond, so get those thumbs ready for pausing. You can stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Disney+.

Watch the trailer for Raiders of the Lost Ark here.

15 Nedry’s Outfits – Jurassic Park (1993)

We come back to Jurassic Park. Halfway through the film, we already know what kind of shady character Dennis Nedry is. He comes up with a scheme for stealing the DNA using a shaving foam can, and chances are he will be able to disable the security system to escape on time. However, as you all probably know, Nedry doesn’t exactly plan everything ahead, and he falls prey to the Dilophosaurus.

Nedry, the Pop Culture Nerd

We caught him seeing Jaws, but as it turns out, it seems Nedry is more likeable than we thought, in terms of his tastes. Throughout his scenes, we see him changing his attire, which is curiously similar to the clothes worn by Mikey, Chunk and Mouth, three of the Goonies who face the wrath of the Fratellis while they search for the treasure of One-Eyed Willie. If you don’t know what film we’re referring to, it’s actually The Goonies, the Spielberg production with all the Amblin touches you want and the adventure film you might want to check out soon.

Watch a clip of Jurassic Park here.

14 Captain Hamill’s Line – Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan takes us to World War II. In the film, Captain John H. Miller is tasked with putting together a team to carry out a mission after they go through the ordeal of the Normandy invasion at Omaha Beach. Miller and company must go through the French countryside, infested by Nazis, to retrieve James Francis Ryan, a soldier whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Military leaders want to save him so that his mother gets at least one son back.

Star Wars in World War II?

The film is part of Spielberg’s more sober catalog of films, but it’s a very important piece in the war genre. But he was clever enough to include an Easter egg that Star Wars fans should pick up easily. During their trail, the group come upon a company led by Captain Fred Hamill. If you’re familiar with Luke Skywalker, then you should know Mark Hamill portrays him in the movies. Not only that, but Private Richard Reiben also has a line in the film that resembles something spoken by Han Solo: “I don’t have a good feeling about this one.” You can stream Saving Private Ryan on Paramount+

Watch the trailer for Saving Private Ryan here.

13 A Captain’s Announcement – Hook (1991)

Hook, the sequel to Peter Pan, puts audiences in the middle of a family drama. Peter Banning, who used to be Peter Pan during the childhood he doesn’t remember, has grown distant from his children, especially his son, Jack. He misses the little league games and doesn’t really represent the father figure he’s expected to be. It’s what later makes him confront his own son when he gets kidnapped and bonds with the evil Captain Hook.

The Inevitable About to Happen

In a sequence after Banning fails to attend Jack’s game, he’s featured on a plane flight with his family. The turbulence is terrible, and everyone’s trying to eat. As his wife scolds him, Peter looks desperate. Perhaps what viewers fail to notice is that the pilot is making an announcement, trying to calm everybody. The voice of that pilot is none other than Dustin Hoffman’s, the actor who plays Captain Hook.

Many would think it’s a coincidence and nothing more, but isn’t it interesting to think that perhaps Peter has already fallen under Hook’s grip? It’s a great sequence featuring Robin Williams as Banning, trying to reconnect with his son while being scared out of his wits because of the turbulence.

Watch a clip of Hook here.

12 The Kids Go for a Ride – The Fabelmans (2022)

Spielberg’s highly-acclaimed biographical film, The Fabelmans, tells the story of Sammy Fabelman, a boy living with his Jewish parents and his sisters. Early in his life, Sammy becomes fascinated with moving pictures, and ever since he got his hands on a camera, he hasn’t stopped rolling. Inspired by the greatest filmmakers of his era, Sammy realizes he has a knack for making movies, but it all crumbles down when he realizes his family is not exactly ideal. Love isn’t exactly unconditional, and Sammy feels it in his bones.

A Wink in a Film that Could, But Does Not Have a Lot of Them

The film’s modeled after Tony Kushner and Spielberg’s screenplay, which follows Sammy’s inspiration being almost stained by the conflicts inside his family. But the film’s tonally friendly, never taking a dark turn and showing a tragic side to the situation. We don’t know exactly what is true and what is not, but what we do know is that Spielberg acknowledges the audience’s need for connection.

It is why that sequence with boy scouts riding bikes feels so emotional: A very important decision is made while Sammy rides with his friends, and who’s to say this isn’t a connection to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial? You can stream The Fabelmans on Showtime.

Watch a trailer for The Fabelmans here.

11 The Seat Belt – Jurassic Park (1993)

One of the important aspects of the original Jurassic Park film is that it addresses the ethically divisive aspects of technology and cloning. Early on, Dr. Ian Malcolm mentions the chaos theory and the lack of control in the presence of too many variants. Also, a very important question is asked at some point: how will they control the reproduction of these ancient creatures if they’re loose in some parts of the island? The scientists simply reply that it’s impossible because all cloned creatures are female.

Life Finds a Way

Spielberg also replies in a very interesting manner, and he does so without being too technical about a film that already raises some questions because of its dino-cloning science. When the helicopter carrying the team of specialists arrives at Isla Nublar, there’s some turbulence going on. Hammond indicates that everything will be fine, and the rest look kind of nervous and start fastening their seat belts.

However, Dr. Alan Grant has no way to fasten his because there are two buckle ends and no tongue. Everyone tries to help him, and just as the helicopter is about to land, he decides to make a simple knot, solving his matter of safety and exclaiming very subtly that “life will find a way” in this place. You can stream Jurassic Park on Netflix.

Watch a clip of Jurassic Park here.

Related: The Top 10 Highest-Grossing Steven Spielberg Movies

10 Going Clubbing – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the second film in the franchise and serves as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the film, Indiana Jones and his company end up sloping down the Himalayas and helping a dying village retrieve the stones that give them life. Indy goes through a series of problems in what’s undoubtedly the most controversial film in the franchise. This one bends the rules enough to make you think this is, in some parts, a horror movie. But before all that, Indy survives one violent attack in Shanghai.

The Lucas-Spielberg-verse

The Easter egg in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom isn’t exactly subtle. The attack in Shanghai is a great action sequence where the archeologist tries to make a deal with crime boss Lao Che but instead ends up getting poisoned. When all hell breaks loose and Indy must make a run with Willie, the dancer, they jump from a window and end up getting in a car driven by a small child.

Short Round is his name, and right after he drives away, we see the name of the club where Willie worked, which Indy chose as the ideal spot for dealing with criminals. It’s called Club Obi Wan, in homage to one of the greatest Jedis ever born.

Watch a clip of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom here.

9 The Cameos All Around

It’s safe to say that Spielberg is one of the most important directors in Hollywood. All actors wish they could work in a film of his, and, curiously, he’s not exactly known for giving chances to familiar faces. Films like The Fabelmans, War Horse, Amistad, and Empire of the Sun aren’t known for starring famous Hollywood actors. But did you know he actually often includes himself and other famous faces in his movies in the form of cameos, some of which are very hard to spot?

More than You’d Actually Imagine

Some of the most important cameos in Spielberg movies include the following:

• Comedian Dan Aykroyd plays the guy who helps Indy escape Shanghai in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
• Glenn Close and David Crosby are part of Hook’s posse in Hook.
• J. Allen Hynek shows up as a scientist in the finale of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Hynek was the man responsible for creating the scale of close encounters with alien intelligence.
• Peter Benchley, author of the novel Jaws, shows up in Jaws as a reporter.
• Frank Abagnale Jr., the real criminal-turned-good guy that inspires Catch Me If You Can, is in the movie and plays a cop.
• Cameron Crowe rides the train in Minority Report.
• George Lucas and Carrie Fisher are a couple very much in love in Hook.
• David Lynch plays Hollywood legend John Ford in The Fabelmans.

8 Indy’s Suit – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The following Easter egg can be found in the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. As Indy chats with Lao Che and his partners about the remains of the Nurhachi that Jones has retrieved for them, the attitude of the criminals is just shady. But Jones isn’t exactly a saint, which puts him in the same room with riffraff. What follows is a violent disaster as Indiana gets poisoned, and the antidote is thrown to the ground in a sea of bullets and swords.

Jones was Spielberg’s Version of a James Bond Movie

Many know that Spielberg’s idea was to make a James Bond film, but he couldn’t be authorized to do so. Instead, his friend George Lucas pitched an idea about a fearless adventurer who would travel all around the world facing bad guys, especially Nazis. Needless to say, Spielberg accepted and made his own version of the international spy. However, the costume design in Temple of Doom features a nod that’s attributed to the director’s love for 007: In the opening sequence, Indy wears the same suit that Sean Connery wore in Goldfinger. You can stream Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on Disney+.

Watch a clip of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom here.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial tells the story of Elliot, a small boy with a dysfunctional family who’s not exactly successful at making friends. However, it’s all about to change for him as he finds someone extraordinary in a shed in his backyard. E.T. is an alien whose family has dropped him on Earth. Elliot instantly connects with E.T., who at some point makes a revelation. He wants to go home. Elliot, along with his sibling, tries his best to help E.T. call his planet, but it may be too late, as scientists have discovered the alien’s existence and plan to experiment on him.

Which Begs the Question…

Elliot and his siblings hide E.T. from their mother. Which means they keep him locked up in a room, but at some point, they decide E.T. can go trick or treating with them if he throws a sheet over him and disguises himself as a very short ghost. While on the street, E.T. looks at a boy in a Yoda costume. E.T. becomes fascinated and starts yelling “home!” desperately. Of course, John Williams incorporates a few seconds of Yoda’s theme into the score. The scene in one of Spielberg’s best films ever begs the question: Could they come from the same place? Is E.T. a Jedi? He certainly has some powers. You can rent E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Prime Video.

Watch the trailer for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial here.

6 A Monster’s Dying Breath – Jaws (1977)

In Jaws, the residents of Amity Island are facing a horrible threat during the summer. A great white shark has been making the rounds on the beach and has eaten a couple of innocent victims. The mayor wants to keep the beaches open, but Chief Brody warns against this. It’s not until someone else is confirmed dead that a hunt begins, one in which Brody joins shark hunter Quint and oceanographer Matt Hooper. They will face a creature that’s much larger than they thought.

Making the Connection

Jaws, the ultimate summer horror movie responsible for the term “blockbuster,” is a fun ride. At first, it’s a straight-up horror movie with enough violence and gore to make you afraid of the sea. But its second half is a more dramatic adventure in which three men hunt down the creature. At the conclusion of this ride, Brody is responsible for blowing up the shark by shooting a gas can in its mouth.

As the remains of the shark sink, we can hear a familiar sound: the dinosaur sound made by the humongous truck in Duel (also by Spielberg and his first feature film) when it goes over the edge, bringing itself and its driver to a very certain death. It’s in fact a sound effect seen in a 1950s horror film called The Land Unknown. You can rent Jaws on Prime Video.

Watch the trailer for Jaws here.

Elliot meeting E.T. for the first time is one of those sequences in cinema that are simply hard to forget. Both beings, as contrary as they are, share an immediate connection that transcends what you actually see on the screen. The score by John Williams actually helps, but right away, you know their relationship will be like nothing else we’ve seen before when it comes to films about aliens.

The Lucas Legacy Lives on

Another Easter egg in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial comes when the curious alien is in Elliot’s room and the boy is trying to show him stuff, just like you did when a new friend came over, and you showed him the stuff in your bedroom. Elliot’s room is filled with awesome toys from the ’80s, like the Jaws pincher, a Greedo action figure, and play sets from The Empire Strikes Back. In the following scenes, we see much more toys, like X-Wing Fighters and Vader’s Tie Fighter, hanging above Elliot’s bed. It was like every kid’s bedroom in the ’80s, but in the case of a Spielberg movie, it feels like a nod to Lucas.

Watch a clip of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial here.

4 The Chalkboard – Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Catch Me If You Can is the true life story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a teenager in New Rochelle with a very important skill. He can impersonate anyone, and just about everyone believes in his lies. At first, his father celebrates such an ability, but then Frank runs away because his parents can’t stand each other. At a very young age, Frank becomes a pilot, a doctor, and an attorney, all by convincing everyone to look his way. But an FBI agent by the name of Carl Hanratty will be the one to make him stop and bring him to justice.

An Unbreakable Bond

One of the best crime dramas ever made, Catch Me If You Can, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as Hanratty. Their chemistry on the screen is part of what makes the film so endearing and entertaining. The Easter egg in the film comes at the end of the movie, when Hanratty is teaching by using a chalkboard, and in one of the shots, you can read the words “Steven + Tom’s 4th Project.” Catch Me If You Can was their reunion after Joe Versus the Volcano, Saving Private Ryan, and Band of Brothers. You can stream Catch Me If You Can on Paramount+

Watch the trailer for Catch Me If You Can here.

Related: 15 Scariest Moments in Steven Spielberg Films

3 The Car Race – Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One has a fantastic introduction. Before the plot takes off, we are witnesses to a car race whose winner will be able to get the first key. The problem is that everyone’s avatar perishes before reaching the finish line. However, Parzival figures out the only way to do it. He just had to take a dive into Halliday’s past and guess the clue that allows racers to actually finish the race. When he does, it’s hard not to celebrate.

Revisiting His Own Creations

The Easter egg comes from the vehicles and the villains in the face. If you’re not aware of the film’s subject, this reveal could be a little too much because of the insane amount of nods that appear in the film in the first 10 minutes. Some of them are:

• The DeLorean from the Back to the Future films.
• Shōtarō Kaneda’s bike from Akira.
• The T-Rex from Jurassic Park.
• A Bigfoot monster truck from back in the day.
• Christine, the killer car from Stephen King’s novel.
• The Batmobile from the Batman TV series.
• King Kong himself.

Watch a clip of Ready Player One here.

2 Hey, that Fairy Looks Familiar – A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Spielberg’s sci-fi drama A.I. Artificial Intelligence takes place in the future, where robots have advanced enough to emulate human emotions and humans have found a place for them in their households. David joins a family of three, and right away, he disrupts the dynamics when he starts asking too many questions and becomes an emotional boy. Eventually, David just aims to become a human boy so that his human mother can really love him.

A Boy Who Just Wants to Be Human

The film is based on the short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss, but only in its first half. Then it becomes a jarring story about David trying to win back his mother’s love. Monica abandons him in the forest, where metal junk is discarded. David thinks that his mother will love him only if he becomes a human boy.

He’s inspired by the story of The Adventures of Pinocchio and decides to find the Blue Fairy. Ultimately, he finds a version of the fairy that is eerily similar to how it was portrayed in Pinocchio, the iconic Disney film from 1940. You can stream A.I. Artificial Intelligence on Paramount+.

Watch a trailer for A.I. Artificial Intelligence here.

1 Pinocchio Queue – Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind may be terrifying in some of its scary sequences. But when we arrive at the ending, it doesn’t turn out to be so bad. This is the story about a man who realized that his role on Earth wasn’t what he thought, and he gave himself the chance to see beyond the societal rules that contradict the dreamlike conclusion of the film. As it turns out, this was greatly represented in the director’s use of the Pinocchio motif in the film. Yes, that Pinocchio from Disney.

The Meaning Behind the Use of “When You Wish Upon a Star”

For the film’s score, John Williams makes sure to include the queue of Pinocchio‘s song When You Wish Upon a Star. But early on, Roy Neary fantasizes about watching the film with his children. He also behaves like a child sometimes.

The incorporation has to do some with the theme of innocence that’s thoroughly explored with Roy’s character. He’s facing the impossibility of something that just exists in his imagination. By the end, we are all children, experiencing something that can’t be real. Williams stated that the music made him feel safe. Fortunately, Spielberg decided to include the song with Jiminy Cricket’s voice.

Watch a clip of Close Encounters of the Third Kind here.

Let’s stay in the Spielberg-verse and check out a video about the best sci-fi films of the ’80s: