During CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas, Steven Spielberg warned the film industry about its increasing dependence on existing franchises and licenses. A model that, in his opinion, could lead Hollywood into a creative deadlock.
The 79-year-old director unveiled a new trailer for Disclosure Day on Wednesday, April 22. The film’s plot has remained a secret, but it involves visitors from another planet and a vast government conspiracy to conceal their arrival, as reported by Variety.
He urged Hollywood to continue investing in original films rather than remakes, sequels, and spin-offs. “If we only produce known franchises and known intellectual property from known brands, we will end up running out,” Spielberg said. He added, “There is nothing more important than offering the public visual stories, they can take any form, but we must tell more original stories.“
“Studios must help us”
Another recommendation made by Steven Spielberg is that films should stay in theaters longer before being released on video-on-demand platforms. This will be the case for Disclosure Day. He praised Universal’s decision to extend the theatrical run of its films from 17 to 45 days.
“The audience will always find what they want to see, whether it’s big-budget films or independent films, but the studios must help us by significantly extending exclusivity periods, as Donna Langley just did,” he said, referring to the president of Universal Pictures.
His film will hit theaters on June 10. It stars Emily Blunt as a meteorologist and Josh O’Connor as a man holding evidence of an extraterrestrial contact. “I believe this film will provide answers and raise many questions,” the director said. “To get to the end, all you have to do is fasten your seatbelt,” he added.
