Steven Spielberg Brings War of the Worlds Up to Date  6/20/05

Steven Spielberg was determined to set his movie version of the 1898 book War of the Worlds in the present day - as he wants it to resonate with modern audiences.

Spielberg insists society has changed immeasurably since H G Wells wrote the legendary novel - and as a result the Hollywood movie maker recreated the story to reflect the psyche of today's audience.

He says, "I have great respect for the book, but not to the extent that I would set the movie back in 1898.

"I feel more at home in today's world and I think in the shadow of 9/11 there is a little relevance in how we are so unsettled in our feeling about our collective futures.

"Our world has gone through a lot of growing pains. We're in a whole different mindset.

"I thought this would be a good time to send War Of The Worlds crashing down about everybody's ears."