- The new film, as yet untitled, will be released in the summer of 2026
- By focusing on UFOs, Spielberg is revisiting the topic of some of his biggest hits
- Spielberg is often credited as the father of the modern blockbuster movie
Steven Spielberg is to direct a new movie based on an original UFO story in what has been called an ‘event film’ to be released in May 2026.
Long time collaborators
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment – which was co-founded by Spielberg – made the announcement, although the title and plot of the upcoming movie have yet to be revealed.
Spielberg, 77, will again be teaming up with David Koepp on the film. Koepp was a screenwriter on films such as Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Another long-time Spielberg collaborator, Kristie Macosko Krieger, is on board as producer.
Back to his roots
The new film sees a return to his roots in two ways. Firstly, he has been long associated with the summer blockbuster – going back almost 50 years to Jaws – but also with the subject matter: two of his most beloved films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982).
Spielberg is often credited as a pioneer of the modern blockbuster movie. When Jaws was released in 1975, it challenged the accepted wisdom that people didn’t want to see big movies in the summertime by taking $470 million at the global box office.
Since then, he has become the most commercially successful director of all time, directing such hits as the original Indiana Jones trilogy (1981-89), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).
His most recent film was the semi-autobiographical The Fablemans, which was released in 2022.
