Not too long ago we learned that Steven Spielberg’s next project would be a “UFO movie” of some sort, one which was being written by Spielberg’s frequent collaborator (and War of the Worlds scribe) David Koepp. Spielberg and Koepp working together is always something worth getting excited about, and doubly so when the two are joining forces to again tackle one of The Beard’s favorite topics: aliens.

Yesterday brought us a small update to this ongoing story: Universal has dated an “untitled event film” directed by Spielberg and written by Koepp (from an original story by Spielberg) for May 15th, 2026. As of this writing, the general consensus seems to be that this project and the “UFO movie” are one and the same, but apparently Universal is remaining mum on the details for the time being.

Spielberg’s frequently returned to the subject of UFOs and extraterrestrials over the years, and in the process he’s made some of the all-time best movies within that genre, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, and, again, War of the Worlds (yes, we consider War of the Worlds to be Good, Actually). Many years ago, he also came very close to directing a film called Night Skies, which was inspired by the infamous Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter. That project ended up in turnaround and didn’t end up going forward, but it would have found Spielberg operating in “evil aliens” mode (unlike, say, E.T. and Close Encounters).

Last year, Spielberg produced a limited documentary series for Netflix called Encounters, a multi-part series that examined various UFO encounter stories. Prior to this, the filmmaker also produced TV shows Falling Skies and Taken, which were also extraterrestrial-related. Something about this topic really captures this filmmaker’s imagination, and it’s always a pleasure to see him returning to the topic.

At present, there’s really no telling what Spielberg’s “UFO movie” will be about. Will it find him doing something a big more grounded, or something more fantastical? Will it deliver scary aliens, or benevolent ones? Is Universal’s “untitled event film” actually this UFO project, or is it something else entirely? We’re very curious to find out the answers to all these questions. Do stay tuned for further updates on this one as they become available (and, hey, if you happen to know what Spielberg’s new UFO movie is about, drop us a line, wouldja?).

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