Steven Spielberg is heading back to the skies. The next film – widely reported as an original UFO project – is set up at Universal Pictures with a screenplay by David Koepp, the longtime Spielberg collaborator behind Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds. Industry trades detailed the move in early April 2024, and Universal later positioned an untitled Spielberg event film on its calendar for spring 2026.
What does that mean for the prochain film Steven Spielberg right now : a mystery premise, a clear writer, a studio home, and a target release window. Variety reported on 4 April 2024 that the story centers on UFOs with Koepp writing, while Deadline noted on 3 April 2024 that plot specifics remain under wraps. Universal’s release schedule then listed an untitled Spielberg-directed film dated 15 May 2026 in the United States, according to multiple trade listings updated in mid 2024.
Steven Spielberg’s next movie : what is confirmed right now
The project is original, developed at Amblin Entertainment with Universal distributing. David Koepp is writing the script – confirmed by Deadline and Variety in April 2024 – marking a new chapter in a partnership that has repeatedly delivered large-scale studio hits. Beyond those core facts, the film’s title has not been announced, and the story remains deliberately hidden.
Timing matters. The trades signaled a 2025 production window, with the 2026 release date providing a typical runway for a Spielberg tentpole. That 15 May 2026 placement lands the film at the start of the summer corridor in the U.S., a spot often used for event titles.
Casting is the question everyone asks first, and for good reason. As of the last round of reports in 2024, no cast had been revealed. Studio and filmmakers are keeping attachments quiet while the script evolves, a common practice at this stage for a high-profile, effects-heavy feature.
UFO angle et the Spielberg-Koepp track record
The UFO focus instantly recalls Spielberg’s own Close Encounters of the Third Kind from 1977, though the new project is described as an original story rather than a sequel or reboot. That return to unexplained phenomena dovetails with David Koepp’s knack for high-concept science fiction and adventure built around ordinary people facing extraordinary events.
Numbers back up their history together. According to Box Office Mojo, Jurassic Park (1993) has earned over 1 billion dollars worldwide after re-releases. The Lost World : Jurassic Park (1997) grossed over 618 million dollars globally, and War of the Worlds (2005) surpassed 600 million dollars worldwide. Those are hard data points that explain why Universal circled a prime date for the next collaboration.
Awards context also sets expectations. Steven Spielberg has won three Academy Awards – including Best Director for Schindler’s List in 1994 and Saving Private Ryan in 1999 – and he produced the Best Picture winner Schindler’s List. That pedigree tends to shape how studios slot, market, and platform his releases.
Release window, casting, and how the 2025 shoot could roll
What happens between now and May 2026 : script work, design, scouting, and casting. The trades framed 2025 as the likely start of principal photography, which syncs with a spring 2026 release. Expect quiet months of preproduction while heads of department lock visual language, sets, and the effects approach.
Rumors often fill the gap – familiar problem for readers trying to track a secretive film. Two quick filters help : check whether a claim names a primary trade source with a publication date, and whether it aligns with Universal’s public calendar. Variety’s 4 April 2024 report and Deadline’s 3 April 2024 brief are the baseline. Anything without that level of attribution deserves caution.
There is also the genre question. UFO stories can swing from intimate mystery to large-scale spectacle. Spielberg has played both scales across decades, from the dread of Jaws in 1975 to the family awe of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982. Box Office Mojo lists E.T. at over 790 million dollars worldwide – a reminder that wonder travels. That said, the new film’s creative choices are still locked away, so any plot breakdowns circulating on social media are definitly premature.
Practical next steps for fans tracking the prochain film Steven Spielberg are straightforward. Watch for casting notices in reputable trades, monitor Universal’s schedule updates as 2025 approaches, and look for official production filings that typically precede a shoot. When those pieces click into place, the outline turns into a real calendar – and the countdown to 15 May 2026 becomes more than a date on a spreadsheet.
Sources : Variety, 4 April 2024; Deadline, 3 April 2024; Universal Pictures release listings updated mid 2024; Box Office Mojo worldwide grosses for Jurassic Park, The Lost World : Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.