At 79, Steven Spielberg Just Changed His Mind About Aliens

Steven Spielberg believes in aliens.

Ahead of his upcoming film Disclosure Day, the director recently spoke to the Associated Press about how his extraterrestrial movies have changed his perspective.

"I've been a believer since I made ‘Close Encounters' 50 years ago," Spielberg said. "But I would always say: Until I've seen a UAP or a UFO with my own eyes, I'm not going to categorically state that life from out there has come here."

The 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind follows a group of people after they experienced UFO sightings and strange visions.

"But I've changed that," he added. "I'm now willing to change my mind because of the circumstantial evidence which is overwhelming."

The director's new film follows a meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert attempting to expose a global government conspiracy hiding proof of extraterrestrial life.

Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, ColinFirth, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, and Colman Domingo.

Spielberg looks at the upcoming release differently from his previous extraterrestrial films.

"It's my first film that will be considered science fiction that I do not consider to be science fiction," he explained. "It's much more reflective of the world as it is evolving and discoveries that are being made as we speak."

Spielberg explored themes of alien life in past films, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and War of the Worlds (2005). He opened up about the message he wants all his projects to share.

"I think every movie should have a great emphasis on empathy because empathy sometimes feels like it's in short supply," he said. "We have it, sometimes we can't use it. Sometimes it's not allowed to be used if you want to stay aligned with your friends and your belief systems. But I think empathy is there for all of us."

Luckily for fans of the three-time Academy Award-winning director, he has no plans for retirement.

"I never think about how many more I have," the 79-year-old said. "I'm just hopeful that I will be inspired when something comes along, as I was with ‘Disclosure Day,' as I was with ‘Fabelmans,' as I was with ‘West Side Story.'"

Disclosure Day will hit the big screen on June 12, 2026.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:49 AM.