A Five-Decade Exploration
Spielberg has spent almost 50 years directing movies about what would happen if humanity made contact with aliens, starting with 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'
12The Daily
Steven Spielberg Returns to the Question of Alien Life
The director discusses his new film 'Disclosure Day' and reflects on five decades of cinematic explorations of extraterrestrial contact.
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Do Aliens Exist? Steven Spielberg Believes They Do
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Varied Portrayals of Aliens
His films have depicted aliens as both kind, like the character in 'E.T. the Extra Terrestrial,' and cruel, like the murderous beings in 'War of the Worlds.'
34Human Readiness
A central question in his work is whether humans would be ready to receive aliens, regardless of the aliens' nature.
5New Film 'Disclosure Day'
Spielberg returns to these themes with his new film 'Disclosure Day,' discussing what he has learned over five decades of making movies about aliens.
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Sources and disclosure
Where this guide comes from.
This listening guide is based on the episode 'Do Aliens Exist? Steven Spielberg Believes They Do' from The Daily, published on June 14, 2026.
- Publisher show notes
Almost 50 years ago, Steven Spielberg directed “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the story of an average man who discovers that humanity may not be alone in the universe.
- Publisher show notes
Over the decades, Spielberg has directed several movies about what would happen if humanity made contact with aliens.
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Would the aliens be kind like the title character in “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial”?
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Would they be cruel like the murderous aliens of “War of the Worlds”?
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And regardless of what the aliens were like, would we humans be ready to receive them?
- Publisher show notes
Spielberg returns to the question of whether we’re alone in the universe, and what it might mean if we’re not, with his new film “Disclosure Day.” Today, he sits down with Rachel Abrams, a host of “The Daily,” to talk about the film, and about what he has learned over five decades of making movies about aliens.
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On Today’s Episode
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Steven Spielberg, director of “Disclosure Day.”
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Background Reading
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‘Disclosure Day’ Review: Spielberg Plays His Greatest Cosmic Hits
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What Steven Spielberg Taught Me About Fear, Catharsis, and Being Human
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Photo credit: Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum, for The New York Times
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