Steven Spielberg's return to science fiction, Disclosure Day, may have stumbled at the box office, but it's now enjoying a triumphant second act on streaming platforms. The film, which stars Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, has spent more than 100 days atop the domestic Google Play chart, according to FlixPatrol, and nearly a month on Peacock's leaderboard. This digital resurgence is a far cry from its theatrical performance, where it grossed around $245 million worldwide against a reported $115 million budget—a modest haul by Spielberg's standards.
The movie, which also features Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell, was positioned as a spiritual successor to classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Written by David Koepp, known for his work on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Disclosure Day explores themes of optimism and conspiracy, a recurring motif in Spielberg's oeuvre.
Critics were largely kind, awarding the film a 'Certified Fresh' 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus praises it as 'a humanistic variation on one of Steven Spielberg's most revisited themes,' highlighting Blunt's career-highlight performance. However, audiences were less enthusiastic, leading to a lukewarm theatrical run that ended with a global gross of $245 million—lower than Minority Report and War of the Worlds, and only slightly above A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
This pattern isn't unique to Spielberg. Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars, his first sci-fi outing since Alien: Covenant, also underperformed, earning less than $40 million worldwide against a $100 million budget. Scott has hinted at completing his Alien prequel trilogy, but for now, both legendary directors are navigating the changing landscape of theatrical releases.
The streaming success of Disclosure Day suggests that audiences are discovering the film on their own terms. Its availability on Peacock and PVOD platforms like Google Play has allowed it to reach a wider audience, a trend seen with other recent releases. For instance, Denzel Washington's time-bending thriller found new life on Tubi, and Brendan Fraser's WWII thriller is set to debut on Netflix.
As streaming continues to reshape how we consume movies, Disclosure Day's digital triumph is a testament to the enduring appeal of Spielberg's storytelling. Whether it's a sign of things to come for future theatrical releases remains to be seen, but for now, fans can enjoy this overlooked gem from the comfort of their homes.
For those who haven't yet seen it, Disclosure Day is a must-watch for sci-fi enthusiasts and Spielberg aficionados alike. Its blend of human drama and speculative fiction is a reminder of why Spielberg remains a master of the genre. And with his long-lost Robopocalypse project being revived as a TV series with Ron Howard, there's plenty to look forward to.
