The conflict peaked when de Bont pushed the camera assistant into a ditch and refused to apologize. Later, the director said he simply pushed a person who had stepped into the frame during a particularly difficult scene.

After that, Burgess and his team refused to work and left the film. Then an angry Spielberg flew in on his private plane to Oklahoma. They say he didn't even step onto the ground: he just stood on the gangway and yelled at de Bont for a full 15 minutes, then flew back. Rumors have it that it was after this incident that Spielberg changed his mind about giving de Bont the filming of 'Minority Report' and directed the film himself.