Evolving Themes
Wonder
Close Encounters & E.T. — Aliens as miraculous, transformative encounters
Terror
War of the Worlds — Aliens as existential threat to humanity
Disclosure
Disclosure Day — What happens after wonder and terror: truth
The Through Line
Across all four films, Spielberg has consistently explored how ordinary people respond to the extraordinary. In Close Encounters, it's obsession. In E.T., it's friendship. In War of the Worlds, it's survival instinct.
Disclosure Day appears to tackle the next logical question: once contact is confirmed and undeniable, how does humanity — collectively and individually — process that reality?
"If you found out we weren't alone — if someone showed you, proved it to you — would that frighten you?"
— Disclosure Day trailer
John Williams Connection
Williams has scored all four of Spielberg's UFO films:
- Close Encounters: The iconic five-note communication motif
- E.T.: Oscar-winning score, "Flying" theme
- War of the Worlds: Dark, ominous, percussive
- Disclosure Day: His 30th Spielberg collaboration, at age 93
Why Now?
Spielberg's return to UFOs comes at a remarkable cultural moment. Since 2020, the U.S. government has acknowledged UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), released military footage, and held congressional hearings. The question is no longer "do they exist?" but "what do we do about it?"
Disclosure Day arrives as fiction catches up to a reality that would have seemed like science fiction just a decade ago.