When Steven Spielberg’s new alien film Disclosure Day reaches the theaters, he wants it to be his best work in the genre. The revered auteur spared no effort in pursuing his goal. For starters, he pressed David Koepp to rework the script multiple times, and it took the acclaimed screenwriter 42 tries to get it right. He also collaborated with renowned figures like Academy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell and esteemed composer John Williams to ensure an excellent production.
However, the defining element of the director’s new alien movie is the fact that it’s less speculative than his previous UFO flicks. From E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Steven Spielberg’s fascination with aliens has led to several memorable cinematic masterpieces. Disclosure Day is poised to be different. Spielberg is approaching it from a realistic perspective, and here’s what to know about the real-life events that inspired the movie.
04. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Steven Spielberg and David Koepp’s fourth collaboration for the fourth Indiana Jones film offered another memorable pulp adventure to expand the famous franchise. Koepp’s script pits Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones against Soviet KGB agents in a race to uncover the secrets of the Crystal Skulls, a mysterious artifact in Peru. Also starring Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen and Shia LaBeouf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released to mixed reviews from fans and critics. While fans anticipated a solid fourth entry after waiting for 19 years, critics didn’t fancy several elements of the movie, like the inclusion of aliens.
By and large, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still had a decent outing. Although it won the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, it was nominated for multiple coveted awards, including the BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects. The movie was also a commercial success. Without accounting for inflation, it’s the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Against its $185 million production budget, it grossed over $786 million, finishing behind Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight as the second-highest-grossing film of 2008.
03. War of the Worlds (2005)
Following the resounding success of their Jurassic Park films, Steven Spielberg and David Koepp embarked on another ambitious adaptation. Partnering with Josh Friedman, Koepp co-wrote the script for Spielberg’s big-screen interpretation of H. G. Wells’ 1898 sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds. Their retelling of The Martians’ quest to conquer Earth starred Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto and Justin Chatwin as the Ferriers. The film focused on the family’s life-or-death struggle for survival amid an extraterrestrial invasion, personalizing the story for a thrilling and immersive cinematic experience.
Although criticized for being too sentimental, War of the Worlds mostly received positive reviews. The movie won multiple coveted awards, including three Academy Award nominations for its sound mixing, editing, and visual effects achievements. The sci-fi action epic was also a commercial success. It grossed over $603 million against its $132 million production budget. This earned it the fourth spot among the highest-grossing films of 2005.
02. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Few alien films come close to matching what Steven Spielberg achieved with E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. In many respects, it still stands as the definitive example of the genre, not because it depicts an intergalactic invasion or government conspiracy, but because it strips the concept down to something far more personal. Instead of focusing on large-scale destruction or scientific investigation, the film follows a stranded alien quietly hiding out in a suburban home, where it gradually forms a deep bond with a young boy named Elliott and his family.
That emotional core is what gives the film its lasting power. The relationship between E.T. and Elliott has become one of cinema’s most enduring portrayals of friendship, elevated by moments that are now instantly recognizable—from the whispered “phone home” to the silhouette of a bicycle lifting across the night sky. These scenes helped turn E.T. into a cultural landmark, earning it nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and securing its place as one of the most influential films ever made.
More than four decades later, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial remains a benchmark for how science fiction can balance wonder with emotion. It’s this rare combination of spectacle and sincerity that not only defines the film, but also explains why it continues to be regarded as Spielberg’s greatest alien movie.
01. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is often seen as a spiritual predecessor to what Disclosure Day appears to be exploring, and in 2026, its themes feel more relevant than ever. Rather than framing alien contact as an existential threat, Steven Spielberg approaches it through wonder and curiosity, following an ordinary electrical lineman whose life is upended after a series of inexplicable encounters. The result is a story rooted in childlike fascination, where the idea of extraterrestrial life inspires awe as much as uncertainty.
Led by a memorable performance from Richard Dreyfuss, the film unfolds as a slow-burning mystery that builds toward one of cinema’s most iconic finales. Beyond its technical achievements and narrative tension, Close Encounters carries a deeply humanistic core shaped by Spielberg’s own sensibilities, blending science fiction with music, emotion, and personal imagination. Unlike more aggressive alien narratives, the film ultimately embraces optimism, suggesting that first contact could be defined by understanding rather than destruction—a thematic thread that appears to echo through Disclosure Day as well.
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