Steven Spielberg on Disclosure Day: The Eternal Mystery of Alien Visitations

From Starlight to Sci-Fi: A Life of Wonder

As a child, Steven Spielberg stared at a meteor shower and began his love affair with the sky. The director of the 1977 classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" returns with "Disclosure Day," which imagines closely-held secrets surrounding alien visitations.

"I was about five or six years old," Spielberg said, when his father came in the bedroom and woke him up from a sound sleep. "Just my father and me drove through the night. Not long. I kept saying, 'Dad, what is it? What is it?' He said, 'It's a surprise.' And he stopped at a big park. And it was the Perseids meteor shower. And that was the beginning of my love affair with the sky."

The early spark of wonder set him on a lifelong path. In his formative years, Spielberg found himself immersed in science fiction magazines like Galaxy, Analog, and Amazing Stories. These weren't just pastimes; they were gateways to worlds beyond imagination.

"Oh my God, because that is what my father read! Galaxy, Analog, and Amazing Stories, those three periodicals – and our bathroom was piled high. You know, on the little, behind, right? This high with these magazines!"

The Making of a Masterpiece: Close Encounters Revisited

It's one thing to watch "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in a theater. Watching it with Steven Spielberg? That's a master class. Viewing a scene with Richard Dreyfuss, the conditions of filming came back to him: "It was, like, 95° in Mobile, Alabama, and, like, 80% humidity. I remember that!" he laughed.

"Right there you say, Wait a second, did I see what I think I saw?" said Spielberg. "And then, who are you gonna watch? Are you gonna watch the [TV] screen, or are you gonna watch the actor? Richard's great, but you're watching the [TV] screen now."

The film's ending was legendary – the arrival of the aliens. Forty-nine years later, Spielberg imagines they never left, but their presence has been systematically denied and covered up, in his new film, "Disclosure Day."

Disclosing the Truth: A Modern Conspiracy

"'Disclosure Day' is about how, if somebody had the power and if somebody had possession of the entire archive of visual evidence of what's been happening for the last 80 years, what would happen if they decided to do a data dump across the entire world all at once?" Spielberg said. "And the people who are trying to stop that data dump from happening, that is basically the core of this chase movie."

It's part chase flick, part '70s thriller, and part big tech conspiracy, all colliding to make "Disclosure Day' a sci-fi story for a modern audience.

"I can't speak for the entire audience, but there are certain things that unite us. And one of the things that unites us, one of the places we can find common ground, is our united belief that the extraordinary is possible, and the impossible is possible," Spielberg explained. "And I think UAP, UFO, the whole phenomenon is something that everybody across any spectrum – culturally, politically – can agree on."

This modern retelling is not just about alien visitations; it's about trust in institutions, a theme that resonates deeply in our current era.

The Characters: From Believer to Skeptic

The cast is led by Emily Blunt, who plays a weathercaster in Kansas City – a meteorologist who inherits sudden gifts and skills that she does not understand.

"The movie takes the position of the believers, or the curious, the ones that have been deeply affected by this," said Spielberg. "The Emily Blunt character (Margaret Fairchild), you know, something has happened to her. She has no idea what it is. She has to try to understand why this has upended her life."

The film also takes the position of the church. What does this do to the fundamental beliefs that many of us have? Is God our God only on this planet? Or is God a god for every system where there's civilization and intelligent life, and even developing life?

A Life's Work: Spielberg's Vision

This is the 34th feature from a director who altered the Hollywood landscape, with blockbusters that electrified us, and classic stories that seeped under our skin. As for "Disclosure Day," Spielberg calls it a bookend to "Close Encounters," but the universal curiosity he expresses in both movies dates all the way back to a starry night about 70 years ago in New Jersey.

With faith in institutions lower than in the post-Watergate 1970s, is it a better time to release "Disclosure Day," to have buy-in from the audience that such a conspiracy could exist? "Oh yeah," Spielberg said. "I can't speak for the entire audience, but there are certain things that unite us. And one of the things that unites us, one of the places we can find common ground, is our united belief that the extraordinary is possible, and the impossible is possible. And I think UAP, UFO, the whole phenomenon is something that everybody across any spectrum – culturally, politically – can agree on."

The Personal Touch: Spielberg's Own Search for Truth

What started with magazines has gone digital. The 79-year-old filmmaker began shaping the "Disclosure Day" story in the Notes section of his phone. "That's where I wrote it! And then I printed it out and would read it and then go back to my iPad again. I mean, my handwriting is so bad. As I've gotten older it's gotten so bad I can't read it myself. I used to, when I was much younger, I used to write everything out longhand."

"Think about this: When the Great Unknown is actually known by some, but not known by all of us, it's that inequity that got me to write the story for 'Disclosure Day,'" he said.

The film is fiction, though Spielberg sort of sees that as a technicality. "I absolutely think that they have been here, and they are here," Spielberg said. "And who knows, maybe they've always been here."

When asked about personal encounters with the extraordinary, he shook his head no. "Isn't that terrible?" he laughed. "I deserve that! I deserve a sighting. Ben, I need a sighting. I mean, I'm an ambassador to these guys, and they haven't shown themselves to me? I don't get that."

Looking Forward: The Legacy of Spielberg's Inquiry

Steven Spielberg's work is not merely entertainment—it's a cultural touchstone that reflects our deepest curiosities about the universe and ourselves. "Disclosure Day" continues this legacy, offering audiences a chance to reflect on how we interpret the extraordinary in our world.

As a director who has shaped cinema for decades, Spielberg remains committed to exploring profound themes with both artistic rigor and emotional resonance. His belief in the possibility of alien life is more than just cinematic fantasy; it's a reflection of his lifelong dedication to wonder and truth.

The film opens June 12, including in 70mm and Imax, offering audiences an immersive journey into a world where the unknown is not just possible—it's inevitable.