Poltergeist is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor from a story by Spielberg. It stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Beatrice Straight, and was produced by Spielberg and Frank Marshall. The film follows a suburban family whose home is invaded by malevolent ghosts that abduct their youngest daughter. As Spielberg was contractually unable to direct another film while he made E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Hooper was selected based on his work on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Funhouse (1981).