Steven Spielberg has issued a stark warning about where Hollywood could be headed if studio leaders don’t take action.
When it comes to the past, present, and future of cinema, few voices carry as much weight as Spielberg’s.
Across a career packed with landmark titles such as War Horse, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, War of the Worlds, and more, the director has repeatedly shown he understands what draws audiences to theaters — and what puts that experience at risk.
That’s why his appearance at CinemaCon on Wednesday, April 15 — where he debuted a trailer for his upcoming film Disclosure Day — came with a wider message for the industry, urging it to protect the theatrical experience before it erodes further.
Details around the project are still being kept tightly under wraps, especially its extraterrestrial storyline, which signals Spielberg’s return to the genre.
What has been confirmed so far is its star power, with a cast featuring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, Colin Firth, Coleman Domingo, and others.
While discussing the current health of cinemas, Spielberg referenced a recent shift tied to Universal Pictures, which has reportedly extended its theatrical run window from 17 days to 45, per Deadline.
Spielberg welcomed the move and pushed for even longer exclusivity, saying: “Audiences will find what they want to watch, whether the films are big or small, but studios need to help us by greatly expanding the exclusive windows like [Universal Entertainment chief] Donna Langley just did. Today I’ve got to be greedy. Do I hear 60 days? Do I hear 120 days?”
He also argued that the industry’s growing dependence on familiar franchises could backfire, calling for more fresh ideas: “If all we make is known, branded IP, we’re going to run out of gas. There is nothing more important than giving the audience visual stories, and they can be in any form, but we need to tell more original stories.”
AMC CEO Adam Aron also addressed the updated approach on X, framing it as a meaningful step toward keeping movies in theaters longer and reinforcing a theater-first model: “Big news. The highest praise for NBCUniversal Chairman Donna Langley and her team Pete Levinsohn and Jim Orr. I cannot say enough good things about Donna Langley’s leadership of Universal. First and foremost, she is a superb film maker. Add to that her grace, business acumen and courage in making important decisions that have real ramifications supporting the entire movie ecosystem.”
Disclosure Day arrives in theaters on June 12.