Steven Spielberg is Developing a Western

Spielberg has spoken of his desire to finally make a Western, and during a conversation at SXSW, he said it’s finally happening. “I can’t reveal anything right now, but I have something in development,” Spielberg said. “And it kicks ass.“

He wouldn’t reveal much more, only to say, “There will be horses. There will be guns. There will be no tropes, I can tell you that. There’s going to be no stereotypes.”

Although this project will be Spielberg’s first real Western, he’s dabbled in many of the genre’s elements. Legendary Western director John Ford has long been one of Spielberg’s heroes, and his visual style (horizon!) has been a big influence. Despite not knowing much about this project, I’m really excited for this one.

Disclosure Day

The upcoming Disclosure Day is familiar territory for Spielberg. Aliens and UFOs. The film revolves around the revelation of alien life and those who would keep it secret, and it couldn’t be more timely.

Spielberg was especially thrilled when former U.S. President Barack Obama confidently said that aliens are real. “When President Obama made that comment, I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is so great for Disclosure Day. This is amazing,’” he said. “Then two days later, he stepped back the comments and said what he believed in was life in the cosmos — which, of course, everybody should believe in. Because no one should ever think that that we are the only intelligent civilization in the entire universe.“

He added, “All of you here should read about this and see the plethora of documentaries about this dating back to 2018. I don’t know any more than any of you do, but I have a very strong suspicion that we are not alone here on Earth right now.” The film will hit theaters on June 12.

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The combination of director Steven Spielberg and UFOs has previously brought us Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and War of the Worlds. (Not to mention Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.) This year, Spielberg returns to the subject matter with his latest event film, Disclosure Day, which is set to reach theatres on June 12th – and exactly three months out from that date, a new trailer for the film has dropped online! You can watch it in the embed above.

Cast and Synopsis

The official press release for Disclosure Day reads:

Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar^® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar^® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar^® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.

Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award^® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham. 

There has been speculation that Disclosure Day could be some kind of secret follow-up to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Spielberg has said that he made this film because “I’ve always been fascinated with things that cannot be explained. When I was just a little kid, I remember developing a real curiosity about the sky at night, and what’s happening up there. And, also, not the possibility, but the guarantee that there is life off this planet.“

Are you excited to see Spielberg digging into the concept of UFOs and aliens again? Take a look at the new Disclosure Day trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day reveals a new trailer appeared first on JoBlo.

Chris

Were This Year’s Super Bowl Movie Trailers Disappointing?

Is it just me, or was this year’s crop of Super Bowl trailers pretty “meh”?

There was a time when Super Bowl movie spots felt like genuine events. Just two years ago, we got our first-ever glimpse of Deadpool vs. Wolverine during the Big Game — the kind of surprise drop that instantly dominated conversation.

This year? Not so much.

Most of the trailers felt familiar, showing footage we’d largely already seen — with only a couple of real exceptions.

What Were the Biggest Super Bowl Movie Trailer Reveals?

Minions and Monsters (Illumination)

The first true “new” reveal was Illumination’s latest Despicable Me universe entry, Minions and Monsters. It likely thrilled the younger viewers watching the game, but it didn’t exactly ignite the talkbacks here on JoBlo.

The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Netflix)

The trailer that actually got people buzzing was Netflix’s surprise teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth — David Fincher’s sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Tarantino returning to write the screenplay.

That reveal felt like an event.

However, it wasn’t without controversy. The digital photography didn’t come across well in the TV broadcast version, and the leaked version that hit X only fueled debate. As of now, Netflix hasn’t officially released the trailer online, adding even more mystique to the whole situation.

Which Super Bowl Trailer Sparked the Most Theories?

Disclosure Day (Steven Spielberg)

The spot that may have generated the most speculation was Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day.

Unlike its earlier teaser, this Super Bowl version leaned heavily into action, even offering a glimpse of the mothership — which immediately launched a wave of fan theories. It felt bigger, more ambitious, and more revealing than most of the other spots.

Which Super Bowl Trailers Fell Flat?

There was also:

• The Krypto-heavy Supergirl spot
• Disney’s widely disliked The Mandalorian and Grogu teaser

But overall, many of the teases lacked the must-see, “drop everything” energy that Super Bowl trailers used to deliver.

What Was the Best Super Bowl Movie Trailer?

So what do you think?

Was this a down year for Super Bowl movie trailers?
Did The Adventures of Cliff Booth steal the show?
Or did Disclosure Day win you over?

Take the poll below and jump into the talkbacks — we want to hear from you.

The post Poll: What Was the Best Super Bowl Trailer? appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

The combination of director Steven Spielberg and UFOs has previously brought us Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and War of the Worlds. (Not to mention Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.) This year, Spielberg returns to the subject matter with his latest event film, Disclosure Day, which is set to reach theatres on June 12th – and even though we haven’t seen much from the movie yet, promotional material has already stirred up speculation that this could be a secret follow-up of sorts to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The Facts

The official press release for Disclosure Day reads:

Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar^® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar^® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar^® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.

Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award^® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham. 

The Speculation

Whether it’s connected to his previous alien stories or not, Spielberg revisiting the concept of UFOs and alien visitations (without the involvement of Indiana Jones this time) is already enough to get fans excited. In a way, it provides book-ends for his career; Close Encounters of the Third Kind was one of his early feature films, and Disclosure Day could be the last time (or one of the last times) the 79-year-old filmmaker deals with these ideas – unless he’s planning to go on an alien movie streak and we haven’t heard about it yet.

But there’s one shot in the teasers we’ve seen that has fans wondering if this story is directly connected to Close Encounters: it’s a shot of a UFO, which looks eerily similar to the spacecraft seen in Spielberg’s 1977 hit.

Dozens of people saw the UFOs in Close Encounters, but the film focused on just a few of them. Ordinary people witnessing extraordinary, live-changing events. The ending seemed to indicate that the entire world was about to know about our alien visitors – and Disclosure Day is the follow-up to that idea, digging into what it would be like if the world did become aware that aliens exist. Not only flying around in UFOs, but also, from the looks of it, hiding amongst us. Spielberg’s story could acknowledge that the events of Close Encounters set humanity on the path toward disclosure, and now Disclosure Day is showing us the consequences.

Close Encounters captured the awe of first contact. Disclosure Day looks to examine the curiosity, fear, and existential questions that would follow. Thinking aliens exist and wanting to see the proof firsthand is one thing. Knowing for sure that they exist? That’s when things can get really creepy.

Of course, the stories could be entirely separate and Spielberg just liked the UFO design in Close Encounters of the Third Kind so much that he decided to bring it back. But for now, fans are having fun imagining Disclosure Day as a secret sequel, an idea that turns the movie into more than just another a sci-fi thriller. It could be a continuation of a story that has fascinated them for nearly 50 years.

The post Could Disclosure Day Be the Secret Continuation of Close Encounters? appeared first on JoBlo.

2025 ended up being a pretty decent year for movies, with some true standouts like Marty Supreme, Weapons, and Hamnet. But with the sun setting on 2025, it’s time to look forward to the films being released in 2026. And boy are there a lot of sequels and adaptations. I suppose that’s just the nature of modern day cinema and that’s not to say that there won’t be some original films that really blow us away this year. But those tend to be a bit more under the radar until closer to release. Even still, I’m pretty excited for many releases this year and think that we should be in store for some great additions to already established franchises. So let’s take a look at some of the upcoming movies in 2026.

And don’t forget to check out our 2026 Horror Preview as well!

Wuthering Heights (February 13th)

Emerald Fennell has really made quite the impact with films like Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. Now it’s time for her to adapt one of the most famous novels out there with Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. It is “A passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.” Pairing Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi seems like the work of some mad genius. The Valentine’s Day release is sure to make this one another win for Fennell.

Crime 101 (February 13)

Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry star in this action-thriller based on the work of Don Winslow (writer of Savages). Directed by Bart Layton, whose American Animals was quite the Sundance gem eight years back, this is the kind of adrenaline-charged original fare you don’t get too often in theaters anymore. Here’s the synopsis:

Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, CRIME 101 weaves the tale of an elusive thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose high-stakes heists unfolding along the iconic 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads, forcing the two to collaborate. Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher. As the multimillion-dollar heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are forced to confront the cost of their choices–and the realization that there’s no turning back. 

Project Hail Mary (March 20th)

Andy Weir writes some of the most interesting science fiction of the modern era and it’s been far too long since we got an adaptation of one of his other big works, The Martian. The story involves: “Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.” While the trailer gave away a little much for my liking, it’s hard to count against Ryan Gosling in the entertainment department.

Disclosure Day (June 12th)

I’m still not sold on the title, but it’s hard not to be excited at the concept of Steven Spielberg returning to the world of Aliens with this UFO thriller. With a cast that includes Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Wyatt Russell and Colman Domingo, this look very intriguing. Plot details are still pretty scant but it looks more in line with Close Encounters than War of the Worlds.

Toy Story 5 (June 12th)

It’s always interesting to see what new obstacles the filmmakers manage to put in the way of our favorite toys, and the plot for Toy Story 5 seems like a long time coming: “Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime.” With all the main cast returning, plus fun additions like Conan O’Brien, it’ll be nice to see another story within this world. While the third entry provided the perfect ending, the fourth proved that there’s still some juice left in the tank, and I’m excited to see what they do with this one.

Supergirl (June 26th, 2026)

The second film in James Gunn’s DCU has some pretty high expectations going in. But if Superman was any indication, we’re in for a much less gloomy version of a Superhero movie. And while we just got a taste of her last year, this origin story should give us a better overall picture of what Supes’ cousin has been up to. Plus, it’s going to be awesome to see Jason Momoa’s Lobo chomp on a cigar in a role that he was born to play.

The Odyssey (July 17th)

I’m not sure if there’s any other film releasing that has the level of hype of this film. With opening day showings already being sold out for the last 6 months, there’s nothing quite like a Christopher Nolan movie. For those that never had to read the book in school, The Odyssey “After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Circe along the way.“

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31st)

There’s a certain excitement to any new Spider-man moving coming out and, thankfully, we’ve never been too many years without one. With Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton taking over behind the camera, it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table. Even more exciting is that this should be putting Spidey more street level and allow us to see him less MCU-afied. Though, it’s hard to say since this will also be featuring a tons of other characters like Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Sadie Sink’s mystery character. Here’s hoping they allow the character to be a bit more independent and less reliant on what’s going on with the rest of the MCU.

The Social Reckoning (October 9th)

I would have never expected there to be a sequel to David Fincher’s The Social Network yet here we are. And honestly? I’m actually pretty intrigued. A lot has happened in the world of Mark Zuckerberg since the creation of Facebook and it will be interesting to see how writer Aaron Sorkin (who is now taking over directing duties) presents the story which follows “Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer, who enlisted the help of Jeff Horwitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to blow the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets.“

The Hunger Games: Sunrise of the Reaping (November 20th)

I’ve been pretty let down by many of the films in the Hunger Game series so when I tell you this one has me excited, just know that I’m a hard sell for these. But having read the book that this one is based, this is easily the best story yet and I can’t wait to see some of these scenes come to life. The casting has been perfect and it’ll be great to see Haymitch’s time in the games. Plus, it’s cool that they were able to get Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson back, even if it’s likely just a bookends role, where Harrelson’s Haymitch is likely telling them his story. Either way Sunrise of the Reaping “Explores Panem 24 years before Katniss’ saga, starting on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, where a young Haymitch Abernathy participates.“

Avengers Doomsday (December 18th)

It seems like just about everyone who’s ever put on a supersuit is returning for Doomsday, not to mention Robert Downey Jr, whose Tony Stark famously died in the last Avengers teamup. Whether it’s Marvel calling a hail mary and trying to save the MCU is irrelevant if they’re able to pull off a massive spectacle that brings in the money. And they’re doing a great job of building that hype already as there have already been multiple teaser trailers (four revealing different characters returning). The story appears to feature Doctor Doom going after the children of famous superheroes, causing them to all band together to try and take him out. We’ve even got the OG X-Men returning.

Dune Part Three (December 18th)

Part of me thinks that Dune is going to move at some point to avoid Doomsday. I just can’t imagine it competing with a behemoth like an Avengers film, but I guess crazier things have been done. We’re still following Timothy Chalamet’s Paul Atreides but given how crazy the source material gets, I’ll be curious to see how it translates to a movie, as it’s always felt pretty unadaptable. Though, if anyone can do it, I’m sure Denis Villeneuve is up to the task.

What film are you looking forward to the most in 2026? Are there any Original films that you think will be sleeper hits? Let us know in the comments!

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