Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ Surpasses ‘E.T.’ in Audience Reception

Few events in modern blockbuster cinema generate as much excitement as a Steven Spielberg return to science fiction. ‘Disclosure Day’, which premiered on June 12, 2026, marks the iconic director’s first extraterrestrial venture since 2005, featuring a star-studded cast including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo in a gripping alien conspiracy thriller. With a screenplay by longtime collaborator David Koepp and an original score by John Williams, this Amblin Entertainment production embodies the essence of a classic summer blockbuster.

The narrative centers around a group of whistleblowers racing against time to unveil a 78-year archive of UFO sightings and alien secrets to the world, while corporate enforcers attempt to silence them at every turn. Emily Blunt portrays a meteorologist caught in the web of conspiracy, while Josh O’Connor plays the cybersecurity expert whose act of defiance ignites the entire chain of events. Filming took place across New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta from February to May 2025.

The audience ratings are now in, revealing some intriguing insights. ‘Disclosure Day’ achieved a 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes from over 1,000 verified ratings, placing it second among all of Spielberg’s alien films, just behind ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, which boasts an 85%. Notably, this score surpasses ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ at 72%, while ‘War of the Worlds’ lags behind at 42%, as highlighted by ScreenRant.

Critics were also favorable, granting the film an 81% on the Tomatometer, with many reviewers praising its exploration of human empathy and faith, which distinguishes it from typical UFO spectacles.

Nicolás Delgadillo from DiscussingFilm awarded the film four and a half stars, noting that its belief in empathy as humanity’s defining trait is its greatest strength, arguing that ‘Disclosure Day’ ultimately tells a story about understanding one another rather than a conventional alien encounter.

However, the overall picture comes with some caveats. The film received a CinemaScore of B, one of Spielberg’s lowest, while its IMDb rating settled at a more cautious 6.9. An anti-climactic third act, uneven pacing in the middle, and a few plot holes have sparked division among viewers who were otherwise captivated by the spectacle.

One aspect of near-universal agreement is the quality of Emily Blunt’s central performance, with numerous critics highlighting her portrayal as a strong awards contender and one of the most emotionally nuanced roles of her career. Blunt expressed her enthusiasm for the project long before filming began, telling Entertainment Weekly that Spielberg had become like her “movie dad” and described working with him as “the privilege of privileges.”

‘Disclosure Day’ opened to $44 million at the domestic box office, marking the largest debut for any original Spielberg film. For a director who has spent decades proving that blockbusters can embody real moral complexity, this feels like a fitting chapter in a remarkable career. Now that audiences have weighed in, placing it above ‘E.T.’ but below ‘Close Encounters’, where do you think ‘Disclosure Day’ ultimately fits in Spielberg’s alien legacy?