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Veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg stands as one of the most prolific and celebrated directors in cinematic history. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, he has delivered an extraordinary range of classics – from entertaining blockbusters like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones trilogy, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, and Schindler’s List, to more recent critical triumphs such as West Side Story.
After going behind the camera for the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans in 2022, the 78-year-old maestro is now returning to his roots in science fiction- specifically, the alien-themed subgenre that helped define his legacy. Following months of secrecy, it has been revealed that Steven Spielberg’s upcoming directorial venture, titled Disclosure Day, centers on extraterrestrial life and UFOs.
Slated for a theatrical release on June 12, 2026, Disclosure Day has already generated significant curiosity and buzz. Ahead of its arrival, let’s take a closer look at how Steven Spielberg’s alien-themed movies have performed at the global box office.
Steven Spielberg’s Alien-Themed Movies – Box Office Performance
Before Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg directed three major alien-centric films: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and War of the Worlds (2005). Below is a look at how these titles performed at the global box office, based on Box Office Mojo data:
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): $116.4 million
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): $797.3 million
- War of the Worlds (2005): $603.9 million
As the figures suggest, all three films were strong commercial performers in their respective eras, with E.T. as the top-grossing film among them. However, a clearer picture emerges when their worldwide earnings are viewed in relation to their production budgets.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind was produced on a reported budget of $20 million, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on just $10.5 million, while War of the Worlds carried a significantly higher budget of $132 million. Based on these figures, the films achieved the following earnings-to-budget ratios:
- War of the Worlds: 4.58x
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 5.82x
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: 75.93x
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Stands Out
Among the three, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial again stands out as a clear winner, delivering one of the most extraordinary returns on investment in Hollywood history. While Close Encounters and War of the Worlds were undoubtedly successful, neither comes close to matching E.T.’s box office efficiency.
With these numbers in mind, attention now shifts to Disclosure Day, as audiences and industry watchers alike are eager to see how Steven Spielberg’s next alien-themed outing performs at the global box office.
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