Disclosure Day: Steven Spielberg's new alien movie asks if 7 billion people deserve the truth

A still from the movie (Image via youtube/@ Universal Pictures)
A still from the movie (Image via youtube/@ Universal Pictures)

What would happen if someone proved that aliens exist? Would governments reveal the information to everyone, or keep it secret? Steven Spielberg explores this in Disclosure Day, marking his return to alien stories. Universal Pictures released the trailer on December 16, 2025, ahead of the film's release on June 12, 2026.

The footage raises uncomfortable questions about power and knowledge, prompting viewers to wonder if ordinary people can handle the truth. Spielberg teams up with writer David Koepp once more, and together they ask who owns the truth when it affects billions.


A cast possessed by strange forces

Something takes over Emily Blunt during a live broadcast, as she plays a weather reporter who suddenly loses control on camera. Strange clicking sounds replace her words, and viewers across the country watch in horror as the transformation unfolds. Meanwhile, Josh O'Connor enters the story with a mission, playing someone who believes the world deserves answers.

He declares that the truth belongs to seven billion people, though it remains unclear who decides when. Colin Firth appears strapped to dangerous equipment, while Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, and Wyatt Russell each hold pieces of a puzzle that viewers will want to solve.


The big question about truth

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Most alien movies ask if extra-terrestrial beings exist, but Disclosure Day skips that entirely and explores what happens when proof arrives instead. Josh O'Connor's character fights to share what he knows, while others push back out of fear of the chaos that might follow.

One character asks why the universe would stretch so far if humans were meant to be alone, prompting viewers to consider their own reactions. Would they want to know, and could they handle knowing?


Strange things in the trailer

The footage reveals moments that feel deeply wrong, showing animals moving in unnatural ways while nuns stand frozen, staring upward. Crop circles appear overnight without explanation, and Spielberg builds dread without relying on explosions or loud music.

What makes Disclosure Day interesting is that it refuses to focus solely on officials, emphasizing that seven billion people have a claim to the truth. That means everyone watching becomes part of the equation, and the question becomes intensely personal.


Spielberg's long history with aliens

Spielberg explored this territory before with Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, depicting humans' desperate quest for contact. Five years later came E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, portraying aliens as gentle friends in need of help. Then, the 2005 adaptation of War of the Worlds shifted tone, presenting the aliens as merciless destroyers.

Now, Disclosure Day blends all three approaches while adding something new: it questions whether humans truly want the answers they seek. Sometimes ignorance feels safer than knowledge.


A script that made people cry

David Koepp shaped the screenplay from Spielberg's concept, building on collaborations that earned over three billion dollars globally. Colman Domingo revealed something more profound when he spoke about reading the script, which moved him to tears.

He called it one of the finest scripts about humanity he had encountered, and according to him, Spielberg captured what people could become at their best. Even when darkness surrounds the story, hope pushes through.


Why Disclosure Day matters now?

Reality mirrors fiction right now, as Congress recently held hearings about unexplained objects in American airspace. Meanwhile, the documentary "The Age of Disclosure" broke streaming records and captured widespread attention. People everywhere want answers about UFOs and what governments know. Spielberg releases his film at the perfect cultural moment, arriving when audiences already question what leaders hide. Trust feels fragile, and Disclosure Day taps into that uncertainty.

John Williams returns to score the film, marking their thirtieth collaboration.

Production took place across New Jersey, though the shoot remained unusually quiet. Marketing began with mysterious billboards featuring a bird shape against a black background, accompanied by the phrase "All will be disclosed" beneath. Even the advertising prefers questions over answers.

Disclosure Day offers more than thrills; instead, it holds up a mirror that compels viewers to examine their reactions to undeniable truths. Whether seven billion people deserve full disclosure remains the haunting question throughout.

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Edited by Yesha Srivastava