Steven Spielberg Believes in Aliens

Steven Spielberg believes the public has a 'right to know' about the unknown, particularly regarding extraterrestrial life. He views the concealment of such knowledge by a select few as an 'injustice' or 'inequity,' which serves as a core motivation for his storytelling, especially in 'Disclosure Day.' This perspective highlights a deep-seated societal tension between national security interests and public transparency.

Spielberg states, 'If the unknown is known by a very small group of people, the injustice of not everyone knowing what they know is kind of what drives me, especially to tell the story of Disclosure Day.' He reiterates this at 00:02:29 and 00:12:08.

Both Spielberg and Koepp emphasize empathy as a central theme in 'Disclosure Day' and a crucial element in effective storytelling. They frame empathy not just as a moral quality but as an 'evolutionary advantage' necessary for cooperation and preventing societal division. This is applied to human interactions and the audience's connection with non-human characters, challenging traditional portrayals of aliens.

Spielberg highlights empathy as 'the key' to 'Disclosure Day' (00:12:00). Koepp quotes a character stating, 'They regard empathy as an evolutionary advantage. As the foremost evolutionary advantage.' He connects it to cooperation and human accomplishment (00:31:02).

Screenwriter David Koepp details his process for integrating science into fiction: extensive initial research, then prioritizing entertainment for the narrative, followed by a second round of research to ground the story in reality. He argues that scientific reality, when deeply understood, can strengthen plotlines rather than constrain them, as the universe often presents ideas 'stranger than you have imagined.'

Koepp explains, 'I always want to get it right if I can... I start the idea by doing as much research as I can possibly do.' He then prioritizes entertainment, stating, 'I cannot let reality and truth intrude too much on entertainment,' before a final round of research (00:23:26).

The film 'Disclosure Day' reflects a contemporary shift in public perception regarding government transparency. While Spielberg's earlier 'Close Encounters' explored paranoia about government lies, 'Disclosure Day' operates on the premise that the public 'knows' they are being lied to. The concept of 'ontological shock' is discussed as the potential societal upheaval if fundamental beliefs about reality are shattered by official alien disclosure, which current government 'drips and drabs' of information are designed to avoid.

Spielberg notes, 'There's going to be a lot of ontological shock if this ever gets announced' (00:14:57). Koepp contrasts 'Close Encounters' (1970s paranoia: 'government might be lying to us') with 'Disclosure Day' (2026: 'we know they're lying to us') (00:52:50).

In 'Disclosure Day,' the filmmakers intentionally subvert common alien tropes, particularly the idea of omnipotent and invulnerable extraterrestrials. By showing an alien that can crash and be injured, the film aims to elicit empathy from the audience, challenging preconceived notions of aliens as solely evil or god-like. This vulnerability is a key structural underpinning that demands questioning of taken-for-granted assumptions.

Koepp states, 'It's a great turn on every single thing we've always thought about aliens. They're omnipotent... invulnerable. But no, they're not. and their ships can crash and they can be injured...' (00:35:47).