After months of secrecy and high anticipation, Universal Pictures revealed the teaser trailer to Steven Spielberg’s new UFO movie, along with its title, Disclosure Day. Scheduled to premiere on June 12, 2026, the film stars Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine), Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man), Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Eve Hewson (Jay Kelly), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), and Wyatt Russell (Thunderbolts*).
While the story is still shrouded in mystery, the film begs the question: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?” Any Spielberg movie is sure to be a cinematic event, and he’s already created some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. However, based on what we have learned and seen so far, Disclosure Day may be his greatest project to date.
Disclosure Day harkens back to classic Spielberg films
At first glance, Disclosure Day seems like a spiritual successor to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Both films follow a group of people trying to uncover the truth about alien life, with the government seemingly trying to cover it up. Like Close Encounters, this new film is an original story created by Spielberg, ensuring a fresh, fantastical cinematic experience for audiences.
At the same time, Disclosure Day already features some elements that have made Spielberg’s films so popular. Like Close Encounters, E.T., and War of the Worlds, Disclosure Day integrates elements of horror into its sci-fi narrative.
The film’s teaser begins with a weather reporter (Blunt) seemingly possessed by aliens on live TV, speaking some mysterious language. This moment alone taps into our fear of the unknown as we see the characters hear from some unseen force beyond their understanding. It’s an unnerving moment that hooks us in, with the teaser questioning how people would react to learning that aliens exist.
The movie doesn’t just focus on fear; the teaser also seeks to broaden our minds with awe as it ponders the existence of aliens. Specifically, when Eve Hawson’s character asks, “Do you think there could be others?” a nun is then heard asking, “Why would he make such a vast universe yet save it only for us?” All this makes for a story that evokes both terror and a childlike sense of wonder, which has often been present in Spielberg’s most beloved motion pictures.
The film teases a timely, thought-provoking tale
Spielberg’s films have often reflected events in his life and in the time in which the films were made. Though the full story of Spielberg’s new film has yet to be disclosed, it looks set to offer a riveting commentary on the world today.
Specifically, the teaser hints at a story about communication and how information is shared, as we see the protagonists trying to share proof of alien life with everyone on Earth. This theme was significant in Close Encounters, as its characters attempt to communicate with alien visitors in their language.
Disclosure Day expands on this theme by placing its story in the present day, when technology and social media have increased humanity’s connections with each other. Such advancements have also given rise to widespread misinformation, whether it be from individual sources or even governments.
Thus, in the teaser, we see what appears to be a high-tech government agency monitoring various locations on Earth, seemingly trying to control what people see and think by concealing the truth about aliens. This seems to be why the trailer shows characters fleeing from armed agents.
Disclosure Day feels even more relevant now as the U.S. government has shared more reports of UFOs (or UAPs as they’re now called) in the past few years. However, Spielberg’s film still comes at a time when the majority of Americans (a reported 47%) have expressed distrust in their government. Overall, Disclosure Day seems like a big-budget call for government transparency, with the characters saying that people are “starved for the truth” and that the truth belongs to everyone.
How the heroes intend to reveal the truth about aliens to everyone at once is a mystery. The solution may involve using a power displayed by the aliens themselves.
Just as Blunt’s character is seemingly controlled from afar by the aliens, some of the film’s characters seem to have their minds synced (as shown when their pupils dilate). This may be why the characters appear to be mirroring each other’s moments.
This psychic link, whatever it is, may be how the heroes share proof of alien life with all of humanity. This lays the foundation for an inspiring, much-needed tale about unity as everyone learns the truth and discovers their place in the universe together.
The film has some big names behind the scenes.
Beyond Spielberg and the star-studded cast, Disclosure Day has boasted some incredible talent so far, as many acclaimed creatives have worked together to bring this upcoming film to life.
For instance, Spielberg collaborated once more with cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, having worked with him on several films, including Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, and War of the Worlds. The teaser has already showcased some outstanding visuals by Kamiński, from a crowd of people shining their smartphones like stars to a little girl and a deer approaching a glowing house that looks straight out of Poltergeist.
Spielberg also reunited with veteran screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the scripts for Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds. Working with Spielberg, Koepp has likely written another thrilling and emotional sci-fi adventure for the big screen with Disclosure Day.
On top of that, legendary composer John Williams returned to create the movie’s musical score, having made many classic scores to films like Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. With so many talented figures involved in this production, Disclosure Day seems destined to be an instant classic and a major awards contender.
It is too early to tell what the actual film will be like, but Spielberg has rarely let audiences down when delivering thrilling, awe-inspiring movies. Having spent over 50 years working as a feature filmmaker, Spielberg could have distilled all his years of experience into creating Disclosure Day with his team, which should make for a once-in-a-lifetime blockbuster event.
