Steven Spielberg told a packed SXSW crowd that he has a "very strong suspicion" we are not alone on Earth right now, and that suspicion is exactly why he returned to UFO territory with his new film Disclosure Day.

Why make another UFO movie now?

Spielberg said he felt pushed back into the subject by a 2017 investigative story about a secret government program that tracked unidentified aerial phenomena, and by recent congressional hearings where former officials testified about their experiences. He called those developments energizing enough to make his first UFO movie since 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

When world leaders talk, a filmmaker notices

The director admitted Barack Obama�s recent viral remark that aliens are "real" gave him a little thrill. His immediate thought was that the comment was great publicity for Disclosure Day. Two days later, Obama clarified his comments to speak more broadly about life in the cosmos, which Spielberg said is a reasonable belief.

Personal notes: no close encounters, plenty of curiosity

Despite making Close Encounters decades ago, Spielberg said he has never seen a UFO himself and wishes he had. He joked about the unfairness that many of his friends claim sightings while he has not. Still, he said he is not afraid of aliens.

"I have no fears about that whatsoever," he told the crowd. He acknowledged that confirmed contact after decades of secrecy would disrupt belief systems and cause social dislocation, but he does not think the disruption would be catastrophic.

On Disclosure Day and the audience experience

Disclosure Day is described as a film about global panic and societal upheaval after proof of aliens is made public. Spielberg used the conversation to defend communal moviegoing and original filmmaking. He argued that new, distinctive films give people a shared emotional experience that cannot be matched by watching at home.

He named concerts, ballet and opera as other places where communal reactions matter, and took a light jab at recent celebrity comments about high culture while urging audiences to value live, shared experiences.

Behind the scenes and other projects

  • Close Encounters memory: Spielberg recalled studios balking at a UFO movie in the 1970s, thinking it belonged to tabloid territory. He persisted and the film became a touchstone.
  • New Western: He said he is developing a Western and that it avoids tired stereotypes and predictable tropes.
  • Film references: He still rewatches Lawrence of Arabia yearly as a reminder to stay humble. He also called Always underrated.
  • On set habits: He said he often does not use storyboards on films like Schindler�s List and Saving Private Ryan, preferring to discover possibilities on the day of shooting.
  • No retirement plans: Spielberg said he does not intend to slow down or quit making films.

Film details and context

Universal�s Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Josh O�Connor and Colin Firth. The film opens on June 12 and joins other recent projects that take a serious, fictional or documentary look at unidentified aerial phenomena in the wake of media reporting and congressional attention.

Spielberg acknowledged some public confusion between his fictional movie and last year�s documentary Age of Disclosure, which interviewed former officials about UAPs. He emphasized that Disclosure Day is a work of fiction that explores the social consequences of undeniable proof.

The conversation at SXSW was part of a keynote appearance moderated by a podcaster. The audience saw moody musical nods to Close Encounters during the event, reinforcing the connection between Spielberg�s earlier film and his new one.

Disclosure Day arrives in theaters on June 12.