With new movies directed by Steven Spielberg and Joseph Kosinski, a classic on-screen portrayals of alien abduction, but there were a bunch of others. The decade was filled with UFO movies of all different tones and styles: , Independence Day, Mars Attacks!, The Arrival.

In recent years, the UFO movie well has dried up. Jordan Peele’s Nope was a great UFO movie that brought back the classic flying saucer design with an ingenious twist, but that was an exception to the rule. This sci-fi subgenre has mostly fallen off the radar. But that’s about to change, because two of the most renowned directors in Hollywood are currently hard at work on their own UFO movies.

Steven Spielberg & Joseph Kosinski Are Both Working On UFO Movies

Spielberg's Will Be Released In 2026

Spielberg recently began shooting a movie about UFOs. It was initially reported to be called The Dish, but it’s since been retitled Disclosure. David Koepp, who previously penned Jurassic Park for Spielberg, wrote the screenplay for Disclosure based on an original story idea by Spielberg. The director has assembled a star-studded cast for the movie, including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson. Universal was originally set to release it on May 15, 2026, but after a recent delay, Spielberg’s UFO movie is now scheduled to hit theaters on June 12, 2026.

The most exciting thing about Kosinski’s movie is that former U.S. Air Force officer and UFO whistleblower David Grusch is on board as a consultant.

Ahead of the release of his big-budget racing movie F1, Kosinski has already lined up his next project with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Kosinski’s UFO thriller has sparked a bidding war in Hollywood. Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Warner Bros. are battling it out to acquire the project, which comes from a script by Creed III’s Zach Baylin. The most exciting thing about Kosinski’s movie is that former U.S. Air Force officer and UFO whistleblower David Grusch is on board as a consultant. It’s being described as “All the President’s Men with UFOs.”

Why It's Time For UFO Movies To Make A Comeback

UFO Movies Thrive During Times Of Uncertainty

UFO movies thrive during times of uncertainty, because they’re a great genre vehicle to explore distrust in the government through shady conspiracies. In the 1950s, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a metaphor for McCarthyism. In the 1970s, Spielberg’s own Close Encounters of the Third Kind tapped into the paranoia surrounding the Watergate scandal. Now that uncertainty is back in full force, it’s the perfect time for UFO movies to make a comeback.