Steven Spielberg’s Alien Movies: From E.T. to Disclosure Day

Going almost back to the beginning of his career, Steven Spielberg has been a master at making great alien movies. Early in his career, he made two masterpieces, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Then there was a lull until he returned with War of the Worlds in 2005. He even slipped some aliens into one of his biggest franchises with 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Now Spielberg’s back with another one on the 2026 movie schedule, Disclosure Day. It feels like a fitting time to look back at Spielberg’s previous forays into the genre and consider how his latest film might stack up.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Spielberg’s first foray into the genre came very early in his career with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The movie was his follow-up to the huge hit that was Jaws, and the world was expecting a lot. He certainly delivered. The movie stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy, a Midwestern electrical lineman who comes in contact with a UFO while investigating a widespread power outage.

Like so many of Spielberg’s films, Close Encounters was a massive hit when it was released in 1977, finishing third at the box office behind Smokey and the Bandit and Star Wars. It scratched a similar itch to Star Wars, with its iconic scenes and heartfelt story. Even now, almost 50 years later, it still holds up remarkably well.

Dreyfuss wasn’t Spielberg’s first choice for the role of Roy. He initially tried to cast Steve McQueen, but McQueen turned him down. Dreyfuss lobbied for the part after working on Jaws with the director. Other actors considered for the role included Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, and Al Pacino.

Five years later, after successes like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg returned to aliens with one of his best movies, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The film was a complete pop culture phenomenon in 1982, becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time, surpassing Star Wars. It held that record for 11 years, until it was surpassed by Jurassic Park in 1993. The movie even boosted profits for Hershey’s with the inclusion of Reese’s Pieces.

The original idea for E.T. was reportedly for it to be a horror movie. Spielberg initially wrote a follow-up to Close Encounters called Night Skies. Ideas from that project would eventually spawn E.T., Poltergeist, and Gremlins.

War Of The Worlds

More than two decades after E.T., Spielberg teamed up with Tom Cruise for 2005’s War of the Worlds, a new take on the classic story by H.G. Wells. The film took in more than $600 million at the box office that summer.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Spielberg’s foray into aliens wasn’t quite finished with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While the aliens only appear towards the end of the film, it still counts as one of his alien movies. It’s arguably the weakest entry in the Indiana Jones franchise.

Disclosure Day is slated for release on June 12, 2026, starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor. Given Spielberg’s track record, it’s likely to be a significant improvement over Crystal Skull.