Sometimes the biggest mysteries hide in the smallest details. And right now, Reddit is absolutely losing its mind over a single number in the Disclosure Day trailer.
In the teaser, Josh O'Connor's whistleblower character delivers an impassioned speech about the truth belonging to "seven billion people." Just one problem: Earth's population in 2026 is over eight billion.
Is this a script error? A deliberate choice? Or is Spielberg hiding something massive in plain sight?
The Math Doesn't Add Up — On Purpose?
"The truth belongs to seven billion people. Not governments. Not corporations. All of us."
That's the exact line. And cinephiles caught it immediately. Earth's population passed eight billion in November 2022. By 2026, it's projected to be around 8.1 billion. So why would O'Connor's character — presumably an intelligent whistleblower — get this wrong?
Reddit has theories. Lots of them.
≈ 1 Billion Missing — Why?
Theory #1: Not Everyone is Human
The most popular theory: within the film's narrative, approximately one billion people on Earth are not fully human. They could be hybrids, replacements, or Non-Human Intelligences (NHI) who have been living among us. The "seven billion" line is O'Connor's character acknowledging — perhaps unknowingly — that a significant portion of Earth's population isn't what they appear to be.
Theory #2: The Time-Traveler Hypothesis
This connects to Spielberg's own comments. In a 2023 interview with Stephen Colbert, Spielberg mused that UAPs might not be aliens from another galaxy, but rather "us 500,000 years into the future." If the film explores time travel, the "seven billion" line could indicate the story spans multiple time periods — perhaps when Earth's population was actually seven billion (around 2011-2012).
Theory #3: The Forgotten Origins Theory
A massive Reddit theory gaining traction: the characters we see aren't waiting for aliens — they ARE the "Non-Human Intelligences" (NHI) who have lived as humans so long they've forgotten their true origin. "Disclosure Day" isn't about aliens revealing themselves to humanity — it's about humanity discovering they were never fully human to begin with. This would explain Emily Blunt's eye-color shifts and biological "glitches" shown in the trailer.
Spielberg's History of Hidden Numbers
This wouldn't be the first time Spielberg embedded meaningful numbers in his films. Close Encounters of the Third Kind was famous for its musical coordinates. E.T. contained numerous hidden references. The man doesn't make mistakes — especially not about something as basic as world population.
David Koepp, the screenwriter, has been characteristically coy when asked about potential hidden meanings:
"Like I'm going to answer that. Sorry, Woodward! You're trying to trick me into confirming something I don't want to confirm."
Social Media Eruption
Just hours after the trailer dropped, tweets about the "seven billion" discrepancy went viral. One post declaring 'DISCLOSURE DAY! THE TRUTH' had thousands of views and hundreds of replies dissecting the line.
Some conspiracy theorists have taken it further, suggesting the trailer itself is "a soft launch, a cultural priming exercise so that people are mentally prepared for the real deal."
Whether that's reading too much into a summer blockbuster or exactly what Spielberg wants — we'll find out on June 12.
Sources
IBTimes UK — Social Media Erupts Over Disclosure Day
Disclosure Day opens in theaters and IMAX on June 12, 2026.
Back to Disclosure Day Hub