Encounter of a rare kind

Hollywood great Steven Spielberg shares his behind-the-scenes stories and filmmaking insights with China Daily film writer Raymond Zhou in an interview in Beijing.

Steven Spielberg is often perceived as a symbol of Hollywood - both for those who love it and those who revile it. "I'm proud to be a member of the Hollywood filmmaking community. I never take offense when someone says, 'You're a Hollywood guy,'" says the director of The BFG, who sat down for a rare one-on-one interview with China Daily during a recent promotional tour in China of his new movie. "When I was a kid, I wanted to go to Hollywood and make movies. It's the end of the rainbow. It's Oz for me," he says, giving examples of serious movies that do not seem to be profit-driven but are funded and made in Hollywood.

Some commentators say Spielberg had toned down the darkness in the original children's book written by Roald Dahl when he adapted The BFG for the big screen.