Table of Contents (13 Sections)
The Ultimate Guide to Disclosure Day (2026)
Everything you need to know about Steven Spielberg's most anticipated film in decades. The complete, definitive resource.
Disclosure Day is Steven Spielberg's return to the genre that defined his career. A science fiction epic about humanity's first contact with extraterrestrial life, the film stars Emily Blunt as a Kansas City meteorologist who becomes an unwitting channel for alien communication, and Josh O'Connor as a whistleblower journalist who fights to make the truth public. With a score by John Williams, a screenplay by David Koepp, and a cast that includes Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes, this is the cinematic event of 2026. This page is your single, comprehensive guide to everything known about the film.
SECTION 01What Is Disclosure Day?
Disclosure Day is an upcoming American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, scheduled for theatrical release on June 12, 2026. The film is produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. It represents Spielberg's first original science fiction film in over two decades and his most personal return to the alien contact genre since Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
The film explores a deceptively simple but profoundly unsettling question:
At its core, Disclosure Day is about what happens when the truth about extraterrestrial life can no longer be hidden. Not a slow, managed government release of information, but a sudden, involuntary, and very public revelation broadcast live to millions. The film examines the aftermath: the panic, the wonder, the political fallout, the conspiracy theories confirmed, and the human cost of a secret kept for decades.
The title itself -- "Disclosure Day" -- carries enormous weight in both fiction and reality. In UFO research circles, "disclosure" refers to the long-anticipated moment when governments officially acknowledge the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Spielberg is taking that concept and dramatizing it on the biggest possible canvas.
This is not a small film. It features a stacked ensemble cast led by Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, with a score by John Williams in what may be his final collaboration with Spielberg. The Super Bowl LX trailer revealed a scope that spans intimate human drama to global-scale alien contact. It is, by every measure, the most anticipated film of 2026.
SECTION 02Release Date & Format
Disclosure Day releases on June 12, 2026 in theaters and IMAX worldwide, distributed by Universal Pictures. For a full countdown and details, see our dedicated release date page.
Why June 12 Matters
The June 12 date places Disclosure Day in Spielberg's historically preferred release window: early-to-mid summer. This is the same window that produced Jaws (June 20, 1975), E.T. (June 11, 1982), and Jurassic Park (June 11, 1993). Spielberg does not choose these dates by accident. June gives the film maximum runway before July 4th competition, prime IMAX availability, and the cultural momentum of being "the first big movie of the summer."
IMAX Release
Universal has confirmed a full IMAX release for Disclosure Day. Given the Super Bowl trailer's reveal of massive warships hovering over cities, crop circles spanning farmland, and wide-angle shots of alien contact, the IMAX format is expected to significantly enhance the experience. Spielberg has been increasingly interested in large-format presentation since The Fabelmans, and Disclosure Day appears designed to leverage it fully.
Distribution
The film is distributed by Universal Pictures as part of Spielberg's long-standing relationship with the studio through Amblin Entertainment. Universal's streaming platform Peacock will likely receive the film after its theatrical window, though no streaming date has been announced.
SECTION 03The Story
Everything we know about the plot of Disclosure Day comes from two trailers, cast interviews, IMDb casting details, and production reports. Here is the full picture as of February 2026.
The Inciting Incident: A Live Broadcast Gone Wrong
Emily Blunt plays a Kansas City meteorologist delivering a routine live weather report. During the broadcast, something takes hold of her. She stops speaking English. Her voice shifts into a series of inhuman clicks -- an alien language. She appears possessed, overcome by an extraterrestrial force, all of it broadcast live to millions of viewers.
This is not a private encounter or a classified government event. It is public, involuntary, and undeniable. The moment is the catalyst for the entire film: the secret is out, and there is no taking it back.
The Whistleblower's Crusade
Josh O'Connor plays a journalist-whistleblower who appears to have known about extraterrestrial life before the public broadcast. His defining line from the trailer frames the entire film's moral argument:
O'Connor's character represents the disclosure movement itself -- the belief that governments have no right to withhold proof of alien life from humanity. The tension between his mission and the institutional forces trying to maintain the cover-up likely drives the film's thriller elements.
What the Super Bowl Trailer Revealed
The Super Bowl LX trailer (February 9, 2026) dramatically expanded our understanding of the film's scope:
- Aliens revealed: The trailer shows extraterrestrial beings for the first time. The teaser only hinted at them; the Super Bowl spot confirms their presence on screen.
- Warships over cities: Massive alien vessels hover over urban skylines in shots that recall both Close Encounters and Independence Day, but with Spielberg's trademark sense of awe over spectacle.
- Crop circles: Patterns appear across farmland, adding a layer of mystery around how the aliens have been communicating (or preparing) before the public event.
- Close Encounters-style mothership: The spaceship design bears a striking resemblance to the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Whether this is a stylistic homage or something more (shared universe?) remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.
- High-speed train chase: An intense car-and-train chase sequence confirms the film has major action set pieces alongside its cerebral sci-fi drama.
- Global chaos: Crowds panicking, military mobilization, media frenzy -- the trailer paints a picture of a world suddenly, violently forced to confront the truth.
The Roswell Connection
IMDb casting details for Disclosure Day include roles set in or connected to Roswell, 1947. This strongly suggests the film has a historical thread exploring the original alleged alien crash and the government cover-up that followed. If the film connects the 1947 Roswell incident to a present-day disclosure event, it would give the story a 79-year arc of secrecy coming undone.
Government Cover-Up Themes
Both trailers emphasize a conflict between those who want the truth revealed and those who want it buried. The phrase "people deserve to know" appears in the Super Bowl trailer's closing moments. The film appears to position the government not necessarily as villainous, but as an institution that made a choice decades ago to hide the truth and is now watching that choice collapse in real time.
What We Still Do Not Know
- What are the aliens' intentions -- help, warning, or invasion?
- What is the full scope of Colin Firth's role (electrodes on head in first-look images)?
- What role does Colman Domingo play?
- Is there a direct narrative connection to Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
- What happens after disclosure -- does the film show the aftermath?
SECTION 04The Cast
Disclosure Day assembles one of the most impressive ensembles of any 2026 release. Spielberg has always been a director who builds films around actors, and this cast suggests a story that balances spectacle with deeply human performances.
Emily Blunt
A Kansas City TV meteorologist who becomes the involuntary conduit for alien communication during a live broadcast. Blunt was offered the role without audition. She has described Spielberg as her "movie dad" and called the role one of the most exciting of her career. Her ability to convey terror, wonder, and emotional depth simultaneously -- proven in A Quiet Place, Edge of Tomorrow, and Sicario -- makes her the ideal lead for this film.
Full profile →Josh O'Connor
A truth-seeking journalist who believes the public has a right to know about extraterrestrial life. His line -- "The truth belongs to 7 billion people" -- is the film's moral thesis. O'Connor, who broke through with The Crown and received acclaim for Challengers (2024), brings intensity and conviction to what appears to be the film's most politically charged role.
Full profile →Colin Firth
First-look images revealed Firth with electrodes attached to his head, suggesting a character involved in scientific research, alien communication experiments, or possibly someone who has been in contact with extraterrestrial intelligence before. His exact role remains one of the film's most tantalizing mysteries. The Oscar winner brings gravitas and credibility to whatever this role demands.
Full profile →Colman Domingo
Domingo has been tight-lipped about his character but has publicly stated that he cried reading the script. Coming off his Oscar-nominated turn in Rustin and his acclaimed work in Euphoria and Sing Sing, Domingo's emotional response to the material suggests his role carries significant dramatic weight. His casting signals that Disclosure Day has heart, not just spectacle.
Eve Hewson
The Irish actress, known for Bad Sisters and Flora and Son, brings a sharp, naturalistic screen presence. Her role in Disclosure Day has not been revealed, but her casting in a Spielberg ensemble signals a meaningful part in the story.
Wyatt Russell
Known for his work as John Walker/U.S. Agent in the MCU and his role in Lodge 49, Russell frequently plays characters navigating institutional loyalty versus personal morality -- a tension that would fit perfectly within Disclosure Day's government cover-up themes. The son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, he brings both Hollywood pedigree and a grounded everyman quality.
Henry Lloyd-Hughes
A versatile British actor known for The Irregulars, Killing Eve, and The Inbetweeners, Lloyd-Hughes adds another layer of talent to the ensemble. His range across comedy, drama, and genre work makes him a flexible presence in a film that appears to blend multiple tones.
SECTION 05The Crew
Behind the camera, Disclosure Day reunites Spielberg with his most trusted collaborators -- a team responsible for some of the most iconic films in cinema history.
Steven Spielberg
The most commercially successful director in history returns to the genre that launched his career. At 79, Spielberg brings five decades of filmmaking mastery to a story about alien contact -- the subject that has fascinated him since childhood. Disclosure Day is his first original sci-fi film since War of the Worlds (2005) and arguably his most personal genre project since Close Encounters.
John Williams
John Williams is composing the score for Disclosure Day, marking his 30th collaboration with Spielberg. Given Williams' age (94 in 2026) and his public statements about reducing his workload, this could potentially be his final film score. The weight of that possibility -- the last Williams score, for a Spielberg alien movie -- gives the film an emotional dimension before a single note is played. Williams' themes for Close Encounters, E.T., Jaws, Schindler's List, and Star Wars are among the most recognized in all of music.
David Koepp
Koepp reunites with Spielberg after writing Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World (1997), War of the Worlds (2005), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). He is one of the highest-grossing screenwriters in Hollywood history. Colman Domingo crying while reading the script suggests Koepp has delivered something that balances blockbuster scope with genuine emotional power.
Janusz Kaminski
Spielberg's cinematographer since Schindler's List (1993), Kaminski has shot every Spielberg film for over three decades. His two Academy Awards (for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan) and his signature use of bleached, ethereal light will likely define the film's visual language -- imagine the interplay of harsh broadcast lighting, shadowed government interiors, and otherworldly alien illumination.
Kristie Macosko Krieger
Spielberg's primary producer since Bridge of Spies (2015), Krieger has produced every Spielberg film of the past decade including The Post, Ready Player One, West Side Story, and The Fabelmans. Her long creative partnership with Spielberg ensures Disclosure Day is in steady hands on the production side.
SECTION 06The Trailers
Two trailers have been released for Disclosure Day, each carefully calibrated to reveal progressively more about the film while keeping its core mysteries intact.
Teaser Trailer -- "The Title Reveal"
The first teaser introduced the world to Disclosure Day, revealing the title and central premise simultaneously. Key moments include:
- Emily Blunt delivering a live weather report, then suddenly speaking an alien language -- a series of inhuman clicks
- Josh O'Connor's impassioned plea: "The truth belongs to 7 billion people"
- Glimpses of government facilities, panicked crowds, and something unseen causing widespread fear
- The trailer's central question: "If you found out we weren't alone... would that frighten you?"
- Generic trailer music was used, not John Williams' score -- suggesting the score was still being composed or being saved for maximum impact
Full Trailer -- "Aliens Revealed"
The Super Bowl LX trailer was the marketing event of the year. Seen by an estimated 120 million viewers during the game, it dramatically escalated the film's scope. Key reveals:
- First look at aliens: After the teaser only hinted, the full trailer shows extraterrestrial presence on screen
- Warships hovering over cities: Massive alien vessels in dramatic, ominous shots that recall classic Spielberg scale
- Crop circles across farmland: Patterns appearing in fields, adding a layer of pre-contact mystery
- Close Encounters-style mothership: A spaceship design that mirrors the iconic mothership from CE3K
- High-speed train chase: A car pursuing (or fleeing) alongside a speeding train, confirming major action set pieces
- Global chaos and military response: The world reacting to undeniable proof of alien life
- "People deserve to know": The closing message, framing the film's core conflict of disclosure versus cover-up
No additional trailers have been announced, but a final theatrical trailer is expected in April or May 2026 ahead of the June 12 release. CinemaCon footage for theater exhibitors is also anticipated in spring 2026.
SECTION 07The Close Encounters Connection
One of the most discussed aspects of Disclosure Day is its relationship to Spielberg's 1977 masterpiece, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While no official connection has been confirmed, the parallels are extensive and appear deliberately cultivated.
| Element | Close Encounters (1977) | Disclosure Day (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Protagonist | Ordinary person (Roy Neary, power line worker) | Ordinary person (meteorologist, journalist) |
| Contact method | Compulsion -- Roy is drawn to Devil's Tower | Involuntary -- Blunt speaks alien language on live TV |
| Government role | Cover-up, controlled disclosure at Devil's Tower | Cover-up, uncontrolled public disclosure |
| Communication | Musical tones (5-note sequence) | Alien language/clicks through human host |
| Ship design | Iconic glowing mothership | Strikingly similar design seen in Super Bowl trailer |
| Tone | Wonder, awe, spiritual | Fear, awe, political urgency |
| Scope | Personal journey of one man | Global event affecting all of humanity |
| Composer | John Williams | John Williams |
| Cinematographer | Vilmos Zsigmond | Janusz Kaminski |
| Central question | "Are we alone?" | "What happens when we find out we're not?" |
The mothership design similarity is the strongest visual evidence of a deliberate connection. Whether Disclosure Day exists in the same fictional universe as Close Encounters -- perhaps as a story set decades after the Devil's Tower event -- remains one of the film's biggest pre-release mysteries. It would be unprecedented for Spielberg, who has never created a direct sequel to Close Encounters despite decades of fan requests.
Even if there is no literal narrative connection, the thematic evolution is clear: Close Encounters asked "are we alone?" from a place of wonder. Disclosure Day asks "what happens when everyone finds out we're not?" from a place of urgency and fear. Nearly 50 years later, Spielberg is revisiting his own question with the weight of everything that has happened in the world since.
SECTION 08The Real-World UAP Connection
Disclosure Day arrives at a moment when its central premise -- government disclosure of extraterrestrial contact -- is closer to reality than at any point in history. The convergence of the film's themes with actual events is remarkable and almost certainly intentional.
The UAP Timeline
In recent years, the conversation around UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, the updated term for UFOs) has shifted from fringe speculation to mainstream discourse:
- 2017: The New York Times reveals the Pentagon's secret Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP)
- 2020-2021: The Pentagon officially releases three UAP videos (FLIR, Gimbal, GoFast) captured by Navy pilots
- 2022: NASA establishes an independent UAP study team
- 2023: Congressional hearings feature military whistleblowers, including David Grusch, testifying about alleged crash retrieval programs and non-human intelligence
- 2023-2024: Bipartisan UAP Disclosure Act introduced in Congress, seeking to force government transparency
- 2024-2025: Continued congressional pressure, new whistleblower protections, and growing public demand for answers
Art Reflecting Reality
The parallels between the film's narrative and real events are striking. Josh O'Connor's whistleblower character -- fighting to make the truth public against institutional resistance -- mirrors the real-world whistleblowers who have testified before Congress. Emily Blunt's character, experiencing involuntary contact that becomes public, dramatizes the fear that disclosure might not happen on anyone's terms.
Spielberg has always channeled the cultural moment into his science fiction. Close Encounters reflected the post-Watergate yearning for wonder and openness. E.T. reflected Reagan-era anxieties about government overreach and the healing power of connection. War of the Worlds reflected post-9/11 terror and vulnerability. Disclosure Day channels 2020s anxieties about institutional trust, information warfare, and the growing suspicion that the government has been hiding something enormous.
For a deeper exploration, see our dedicated page on the real-world UAP connection.
SECTION 09Production History
The journey from concept to screen has been one of the most tightly guarded productions in recent Hollywood history.
-- New Jersey: Primary shooting location, including studio work
-- Atlanta, Georgia: Additional sequences
-- New York City: Urban location shoots
-- Huntington, Long Island: Specific location work
SECTION 10Spielberg's UFO Legacy
No filmmaker in history has shaped humanity's relationship with the idea of alien life the way Steven Spielberg has. Over five decades, he has returned to the subject again and again, each time reflecting the anxieties and hopes of a different era. Disclosure Day is the latest -- and perhaps culminating -- chapter in this lifelong fascination.
The film that defined alien contact cinema. Wonder, awe, and a 5-note melody that changed everything. A power line worker is drawn to Devil's Tower for humanity's first meeting with extraterrestrial intelligence.
The most emotionally resonant alien film ever made. A lonely boy befriends a stranded alien. The film grossed $435M worldwide (equivalent to over $1.3B today) and became a cultural touchstone for generations.
Spielberg's darkest alien film. A post-9/11 invasion story told from the ground level, focused on a father trying to protect his children. Terror, not wonder. Survival, not contact. The aliens are hostile, merciless, and overwhelming.
Interdimensional beings (not strictly aliens) appear in the fourth Indiana Jones film. While divisive among fans, the film continued Spielberg's exploration of humanity's encounter with non-human intelligence.
The culmination. Spielberg returns to the alien contact genre with a story about what happens when everyone finds out. Not wonder, not terror -- truth. Political, personal, and global. With John Williams scoring potentially his final film. This is the closing of a circle that began in 1977.
The evolution is fascinating: from personal wonder (CE3K), to intimate friendship (E.T.), to pure terror (War of the Worlds), and now to disclosure (Disclosure Day). Each film captures where Spielberg -- and America -- was at the time. In 2026, the question is no longer "are they out there?" but "what happens when everyone finds out they've been here all along?"
For a deeper dive into this evolution, visit our Spielberg's UFO Legacy page.
SECTION 11Box Office Predictions
Disclosure Day is tracking to be the biggest film of 2026. Here is why.
The Spielberg Factor
Steven Spielberg's films have collectively grossed over $10 billion worldwide. His name alone guarantees a floor of audience interest. But Disclosure Day represents something special: Spielberg returning to the genre that made him a legend. The last time he did an original sci-fi concept (War of the Worlds, 2005), it opened to $77M domestic and grossed $603M worldwide. Disclosure Day has significantly more pre-release buzz.
The Super Bowl Effect
The Super Bowl LX trailer was seen by an estimated 120 million viewers. Historically, Super Bowl trailer debuts correlate with massive opening weekends. Films that have used the Super Bowl stage -- including Jurassic World, The Avengers, and Top Gun: Maverick -- have all opened to $100M+.
The John Williams Factor
If this is truly John Williams' final film score, the cultural significance alone will drive attendance. People will want to experience the last Williams score on the biggest screen possible. This is not a marketing talking point -- it is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime event.
Summer Release Window
The June 12 date avoids direct competition with other tentpoles while capturing the early summer audience. IMAX availability will be at its peak.
The Numbers
- Domestic Opening Weekend: Industry tracking suggests $100-150M, with breakout potential north of $150M if reviews are strong
- Domestic Total: $350-500M+ range, depending on legs (Spielberg films tend to hold well)
- Worldwide Total: $800M-$1.2B, with the alien contact genre historically playing well internationally
- IMAX/Premium: Expected to capture 15-20%+ of total gross from premium format screens
The comparables are encouraging: Top Gun: Maverick ($1.49B worldwide) proved that a legacy filmmaker returning to a beloved genre can break records. Disclosure Day has every ingredient to follow that trajectory.
SECTION 12How to Prepare
Want to walk into the theater on June 12 fully prepared? Here is your essential viewing guide -- the films to watch (or rewatch) before Disclosure Day.
Essential Spielberg Sci-Fi
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The most important film to watch. The mothership design connection, the themes of contact and government secrecy, and the emotional template for Disclosure Day all begin here. Watch the original theatrical cut for the purest experience.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Spielberg's most emotionally intimate alien film. Understanding E.T. gives you the emotional language Spielberg uses when depicting contact -- empathy, loss, and wonder above all.
War of the Worlds
Spielberg's darkest alien film. If Disclosure Day has invasion elements (the warships suggest it might), this film's ground-level terror and survival horror will be the tonal reference point.
Key Alien Cinema
Arrival
The modern standard for intelligent alien contact cinema. Linguistic communication with aliens, government secrecy, and a deeply human story. Possibly the closest recent film to what Disclosure Day appears to be.
Contact
A scientist receives alien communication and fights political/religious opposition to respond. The whistleblower themes and tension between truth-seekers and institutions directly parallel Disclosure Day.
The X-Files: Fight the Future
Government conspiracy meets alien contact. "The truth is out there" is the thesis statement that Disclosure Day appears to answer: "The truth is here, and everyone is about to see it."
Cast Highlights
A Quiet Place
Blunt's ability to convey terror, maternal instinct, and survival under alien threat -- all crucial elements of what her Disclosure Day role appears to demand.
Challengers
O'Connor's intensity, charisma, and ability to play driven characters make this the ideal primer for his whistleblower role.
The King's Speech
Firth's Oscar-winning performance as a man struggling with communication feels thematically resonant with a film about alien language and human expression.
SECTION 13Frequently Asked Questions
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