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Entertainment & Media
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The Unmade Comedy Masterpiece: Spielberg's 'Three Amigos' with Bill Murray, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams
Before it became a cult classic, 'Three Amigos!' was nearly a Steven Spielberg film starring a comedy dream team: Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and Robin Williams. This is the story of the Hollywood what-if that fell apart when Spielberg chose to make a 'little personal movie' called 'E.T.'
In the landscape of 1980s comedy, Three Amigos! stands as a beloved, endlessly quotable cult classic. The on-screen chemistry between Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short as three bumbling silent film stars mistaken for real heroes is iconic. But long before that version rode into theaters in 1986, a profoundly different, arguably more monumental version of the film nearly came to be—one helmed by Steven Spielberg and starring a veritable holy trinity of comedy: Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and Robin Williams.
A Comedy Supergroup Assembles
The project began percolating around 1980, born from the minds of Steve Martin, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, and songwriter Randy Newman. The goal was to unite the era's biggest comedy stars. At the dawn of the decade, Martin, Murray, and Williams were comedic forces of nature. Martin had transitioned from sold-out stadium stand-up to movie stardom with The Jerk. Murray was the breakout star of SNL and Caddyshack. And Williams was a household name thanks to the massive success of the TV show Mork & Mindy. The idea of putting these three wildly inventive, improvisational talents in the same film was nothing short of a comedy fan's dream.
Enter The Blockbuster King
As the script developed, it attracted the attention of the most successful director on the planet: Steven Spielberg. Fresh off the monumental success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg was at a commercial and critical peak. His interest in directing a pure comedy, especially with that cast, would have been a seismic event in Hollywood. The combination of Spielberg’s cinematic vision and the comedic genius of Martin, Murray, and Williams could have produced a film for the ages. For a time, it looked like this dream project was a go. But Hollywood is a world of moving parts, and even the most promising plans can be derailed by a single, unexpected idea.
The 'Little Personal Movie' That Changed Everything
The project fell apart due to what might be the most consequential scheduling conflict in film history. While preparing to direct Three Amigos!, Spielberg began developing a smaller, more intimate story he was passionate about. That side project, a tale of a boy and a lost alien, quickly consumed his creative attention. Steve Martin later recalled the moment the dream lineup dissolved:
He was going to direct it, and then he got the idea for E.T. and he dropped out. He was going to do it with Bill Murray, and me, and Robin Williams. I was disappointed, because it was a thrill to be working with Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg’s “little personal movie” became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), a film that would shatter box office records and become one of the most beloved movies of all time. While its success was a global phenomenon, it effectively closed the door on his version of Three Amigos!.
The Amigos We Know and Love
The film went back into a lengthy development period. Eventually, it landed in the capable hands of another '80s comedy giant, director John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers). With Steve Martin still attached as co-writer and star, his fellow SNL alumni Chevy Chase and Martin Short were cast to complete the trio. This new combination created its own unique magic. The chemistry between Martin's earnest Lucky Day, Chase's vain Dusty Bottoms, and Short's hero-worshipping Ned Nederlander is the heart of the film that audiences cherish today. While we can only imagine the manic, improvisational energy a Martin-Murray-Williams team-up would have brought, the final film is a testament to perfect casting and the unpredictable nature of filmmaking. It remains a fascinating look at one of Hollywood's greatest 'what-ifs'—a ghost of a blockbuster comedy that galloped away so another masterpiece could phone home.