Disclosure Day writer reveals Spielberg avoided any Close Encounters connections
David Koepp, the acclaimed screenwriter, has written his fifth film collaboration with Steven Spielberg on an alien encounter project titled “Disclosure Day.” In discussing the film, Koepp revealed that Spielberg is deliberately avoiding any thematic or visual connections to his previous extraterrestrial-focused films, including “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” and “War of the Worlds.”
Koepp noted that Spielberg has a strong aversion to self-reference in his creative work, stating that any kind of self-reference makes him “want to throw up.” This approach reflects Spielberg’s broader commitment to originality throughout his nearly 50-year career in Hollywood, during which he has fundamentally shaped how the film industry portrays first contact scenarios and alien encounters.
With Spielberg’s extensive filmography on extraterrestrial themes, each new UFO-related project carries the inherent risk of unintentionally echoing visual or narrative elements from his previous works. By consciously avoiding these connections, Spielberg and Koepp aim to ensure that “Disclosure Day” stands as a distinct entry in the science fiction genre rather than retreading familiar territory, reflecting Spielberg’s artistic philosophy of constantly exploring new creative ground.