Steven Spielberg is returning to UFO storytelling with Disclosure Day, his upcoming sci-fi thriller that has already fueled massive speculation. The film, starring Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Josh O’Connor, is scheduled to premiere June 12, 2026, in IMAX and theaters nationwide.
The project has remained intentionally secretive since its announcement in April 2024. Even after Universal Pictures released a teaser trailer on Dec. 16, major plot points remain closely guarded. This calculated silence has only amplified curiosity about Spielberg’s first alien-themed feature since War of the Worlds (2005).
What is Disclosure Day about?
Universal’s promotional logline asks: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?” While specifics are still under wraps, the marketing message suggests the story centers on global disclosure of alien existence and the public fear that may follow. The synopsis hints at a truth shared with “seven billion people,” signaling worldwide stakes rather than localized encounters.
Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp reportedly developed the idea years earlier. Cast interviews suggest the film embraces a suspense-driven tone reminiscent of Spielberg’s classic extraterrestrial narratives like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.
Trailer teases unsettling encounter
The brief teaser shows Emily Blunt as a Kansas City meteorologist preparing for a live broadcast. Instead of delivering a weather report, she produces a distorted sequence of sounds — suggesting an alien language transmission.
Josh O’Connor appears in separate footage, insisting that “people have a right to know the truth.” His character claims he intends to reveal that truth to the world “all at once.” Other scenes flash disturbing imagery: crop circles, police pursuits, strange animal appearances and a sterile lab where Colin Firth undergoes a mysterious procedure. These fragmented visuals offer more questions than answers, emphasizing secrecy as a central theme.
Star reactions and casting notes
Blunt said Spielberg called her directly and offered the role without extensive explanation. She described the moment as emotional and surprising, noting that she still hasn’t seen completed footage. O’Connor also said he joined the film before reading a script — Spielberg pitched the story to him verbally. Cast members have compared Spielberg’s enthusiasm to that of an “excited child,” a description consistent with accounts of his creative process. Additional cast members include Colman Domingo and Eve Hewson in undisclosed roles. Production details remain limited, but reports suggest effects-heavy sequences and practical set builds.
Spielberg on extraterrestrial belief
In earlier interviews, Spielberg has expressed curiosity about intelligent life beyond Earth while maintaining skepticism about alien visitation. He describes the cosmos as mathematically unlikely to produce only one intelligent species, but doubts interstellar travel to Earth outside storytelling.
