Steven Spielberg on His Faith in Alien Life, the Future of Movies, and the Power of Empathy
At 79, Steven Spielberg is revisiting the alien wonder that has long captivated his imagination, from E.T. to War of the Worlds. His latest film, Disclosure Day, is a grand bookend to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, returning to one of his most enduring questions: Are we alone?
A moment early in Disclosure Day feels familiar to anyone who grew up with Spielberg's films. A TV weather report predicts hail. The camera pans from the television to the kitchen table. Plinking sounds begin as cereal falls into a bowl. "Those were Froot Loops," Spielberg says, smiling. "My favourite."
Disclosure Day, releasing June 11 via Universal Pictures, brings Spielberg back to his fascination with what might fall from above. Coming nearly half a century after Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it is a distant answer to that film's final notes. While Spielberg calls his 1977 work "speculative," he insists Disclosure Day is rooted in reality. "It's my first film that will be considered science fiction that I do not consider to be science fiction," he says. "It's much more reflective of the world as it is evolving and discoveries that are being made as we speak."
A Lifelong Belief in Extraterrestrial Life
Spielberg has long believed in alien life but previously reserved final judgment. "I've been a believer since I made 'Close Encounters' 50 years ago," he explains. "But I would always say: Until I've seen a UAP or a UFO with my own eyes, I'm not going to categorically state that life from out there has come here." Now, he has changed his mind. "I'm now willing to change my mind because of the circumstantial evidence which is overwhelming."
The film stars Josh O'Connor as a cybersecurity whistleblower who uncovers government evidence of alien encounters long suppressed. Colin Firth plays a corporate executive trying to keep the secret, while Colman Domingo portrays the leader of the disclosure movement. Emily Blunt appears as meteorologist Margaret Fairchild, who begins experiencing a mysterious epiphany.
From Personal Therapy to Alien Disclosure
Spielberg came to Disclosure Day after an unusually long break following his 2022 autobiographical film The Fabelmans. "It was the hardest question I ever had to ask myself because there was such completion in resolving so many personal issues that I had never aired in public before 'The Fabelmans,'" he recalls. He described that film as "$40 million of therapy that I didn't have to pay for."
Inspired by the 2023 House Subcommittee hearing on UAPs, where whistleblower David Grusch testified about a government cover-up, Spielberg wrote a 50-page treatment for Disclosure Day. He collaborated with screenwriter David Koepp, texting him more notes than ever before. "There was a period in there where I believe he re-read the script every single day for a year," Koepp says. "We'd be in different time zones and I would wake up to 30 or 35 texts from his most current reading of the script."
A Bridge Between Two Modes
Spielberg has long seen his filmography divided between the filmmaker of Jaws, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the one who, after The Color Purple, turned to darker works like Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Munich. Disclosure Day bridges both modes—a thrilling chase movie filled with wonder, yet grounded in reality. At its core, the film is about empathy. Blunt's character finds clarity through eye contact, and Spielberg emphasizes the theme: "I think every movie should have a great emphasis on empathy because empathy sometimes feels like it's in short supply."
The Future of Movies
Disclosure Day arrives in a movie landscape dominated by franchises, AI, and streaming. But Spielberg remains optimistic. "The audience gives me faith in the movies," he says. "Even though the numbers are still not pre-COVID level, it's more robust than it has been for many years. The audience gives me belief that people still want to congregate in a dark space in the company of strangers to share an experience of a film made by storytellers. And that gives me faith to continue making films."
