**A Masterpiece Unveiled: Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' at CinemaCon**
Las Vegas witnessed a historic moment as Steven Spielberg, the cinematic giant, took the stage at CinemaCon for the first time in his illustrious career to promote his upcoming Universal release, 'Disclosure Day.' Accompanied by star Colman Domingo, the filmmaker received a standing ovation from the annual convention of movie theater owners in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The occasion marked the presentation of the Motion Picture Association’s America250 Award by Charles Rivkin, the group’s chair, in recognition of Spielberg’s work that embodies the nation’s wonders. The 79-year-old director shared his intention to explore the untapped frontier of Westerns and assured the audience that this was not his last appearance at CinemaCon.
Recalling his transformative first visit to the cinema, Spielberg reminisced, "Nothing could compete with sitting in the first three rows of a movie palace, watching a Cecil B. DeMille epic with Technicolor. Nothing would ever be the same." He further acknowledged the battle between the small and big screens, acknowledging that the theatergoing experience had been "clobbered" by COVID but added, "There was reason for hope."
The director praised projects like Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet,’ which he produced, and sat down with Domingo to discuss the exhibition business. Spielberg shared anecdotes of inviting his boyhood friends over to his parents’ home to screen popular titles, even earning some pocket money by charging 12 cents for popcorn.
Turning to 'Disclosure Day,' Spielberg expressed his fascination with the potential for extraterrestrial life. "I’ve been curious ever since I was a little kid about what’s happening in the night sky, what’s happening in the sky during the daytime," he said. He recalled his dad’s tales of "advanced civilizations" not found on Earth and a 2017 New York Times story about a Navy pilot spotting something via camera that couldn’t be explained. "Half a century later, I made 'Disclosure Day' with certainty that there is a lot more truth than fiction to what you’re going to see on June 12," he added.
He described 'Disclosure Day' as a film that would answer questions and inspire many more. Teasing the audience, he said, "This movie is an experience, and all you need to get from the beginning to the end is a seatbelt." New footage from the film was introduced, featuring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor in a story that explores what might happen if humanity were to receive proof of non-human intelligent life.
The film marks Spielberg’s return to the UFO genre and fans have speculated it could be a sequel to 1977’s 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' Blunt recently told Empire magazine, "There are definitely questions posed by 'Close Encounters' that are answered in 'Disclosure Day.'"
As Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna’s deadline for the Pentagon to declassify and release specific video files passed on Tuesday, Universal can only hope that any such videos will be released in time for the opening weekend of 'Disclosure Day,' which comes out on June 12.
