With Big Wins for Spielberg, 'The Fabelmans' Gets Digital Release Tomorrow

Awards season for the best performances and behind-the-camera work in film has started out victorious for East Hampton resident and legendary director Steven Spielberg and his autobiographical movie The Fabelmans, available to own tomorrow.

The iconic filmmaker’s wins in 2023 started out January 8 at the National Board of Review’s annual gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan, where Spielberg picked up the Best Director award for The Fabelmans and actor Gabriel LaBelle won Breakthrough Performance for his role in the film as young, aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman.

Southampton resident Brooke Shields also attended the gala where she presented an award.

Two days later, on Tuesday, January 10, Spielberg and The Fabelmans took home what is typically considered the Golden Globes’ highest honor, Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Best Director – Motion Picture.

“I’m really, really happy about this,” Spielberg said during his acceptance speech, which was not prepared for fear he’d jinx it. He also noted the meaning of The Fabelmans to him, and that his mother “is up there kvelling about this right now.”

He went on to point out that the very personal film was a long time coming. “I’ve been hiding from this story since I was 17 years old,” he said, pointing out that parts of his story appear in some of his other films, such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, “But I never had the courage to hit this story head-on.”

About The Fabelmans

Inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood, The Fabelmans is a coming-of-age story about a young man uncovering a shattering family secret and the power of film and imagination to help us see the truth about ourselves and each other, and is being touted as “a timeless tale of heartbreak, healing, and hope for the dreamer inside all of us.”

It stars Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn), Paul Dano (The Batman, There Will Be Blood), Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs, An American Pickle), Gabriel LaBelle (The Predator, “American Gigolo”) and Academy Award nominee Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Ordinary People).

How to Watch The Fabelmans at Home

The film will be available to own digitally streaming and as a download with bonus features tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, February 14.

In other good news for Spielberg and The Fabelmans, the Directors Guild of America announced January 12 that he has been nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film. The winners will be announced at the ceremony, hosted by Judd Apatow, on February 18.

Next stop…the Oscars.