Disclosure Day director Steven Spielberg confirmed that the 2026 sci-fi movie is part of a bigger trilogy, and his reasoning makes sense. Spielberg's long-standing fascination with extraterrestrial life has shaped several of his films across the decades, most of which are contained in a single film, such as 1964's Firelight and 2005's War of the Worlds. Universal Pictures' latest film draws on modern UFO discussions, government secrecy, and whistleblowers, making it a unique entry in Spielberg's roster of extraterrestrial movies, as it prioritizes information dissemination over full-blown spectacle. Aside from its standout story, Spielberg's latest comments revealed that Disclosure Day is actually part of an unexpected trilogy.
Speaking with ScreenRant, Steven Spielberg confirmed that Disclosure Day is an unofficial sequel to his previous movies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, acknowledging that the said films are the first two parts of a larger story while embracing the idea that the 2026 science fiction film is the "summation film" of this trilogy:
Steven Spielberg: "It was a very well-kept secret. But with the whistleblowers that came forward starting in 2017 and even before that, with all the testimony about people saying things are happening, and whoever has the archive of the truth is not disclosing it to anybody, I started getting really interested in what I would call my summation film.
The first act in 'Close Encounters [of the Third Kind],' the second act 'ET,' which was a very insulated, very, very insulated story, a suburban story. And then finally, 'Disclosure Day' was finally, unlike Devil's Tower and that meeting of the minds, finally the truth is there for all of us to behold."
Close Encounters of the Third Kind follows a group of ordinary people whose lives are upended by mysterious UFO sightings, culminating in a climax at Devil's Tower, where humanity makes its first official contact with an advanced extraterrestrial civilization.
Meanwhile, E.T. serves as the second, more intimate act of the trilogy, mainly because it is set in an isolated location and tells a standalone story. It revolves around the titular lonely alien, discovered by a 10-year-old boy and his siblings, and chronicles how a deep friendship intersects with a high-stakes plot to evade government agents.
Disclosure Day serves as the full public revelation of the truth about aliens (read more about Disclosure Day spoilers here), moving beyond hidden meetings or private bonds to widespread disclosure.
While this isn't a confirmation that these three movies are set in the same universe, this framing from Spielberg transforms Disclosure Day from a standalone thriller into the thematic payoff of a 50-year journey: from awe-struck first contact at Devil's Tower, chronicling the compelling personal bond of E.T., to a world finally forced to confront the full reality of extraterrestrial presence.
Why Disclosure Day Acting as the Closure Is Significant
Having Disclosure Day as the fitting summation is perfect because it invites audiences to consider not just the "what if they're out there," but "what happens when everyone finally knows." Spielberg's latest confirmation about it being part of a "thematic" trilogy completely distances Disclosure Day from being a spiritual successor to Independence Day, as earlier theorized by fans.
The contained revelation in both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. is precisely why Disclosure Day functions as the ultimate capper and closure to Spielberg's unofficial trilogy. The Emily Blunt-led movie essentially expands the scale outward, reinforcing the harsh consequences of a big truth that can no longer be contained.
When the archive is finally opened, and the reality of extraterrestrial presence is thrust into full public view for the first time, the movie definitely offers a different kind of needle drop that affects not just the cast of characters involved in the revelation but also carries forward to the audiences watching the film.
Given that Spielberg has repeatedly cited real-world whistleblowers and the persistent frustration over government secrecy as key inspirations, Disclosure Day completes the thematic arc of his unofficial trilogy by delivering the universe disclosure that the first two movies only hinted at. If anything, it transforms the intimate promise of first contact into a global reckoning.
