LAS VEGAS – One of the most surprising revelations at CinemaCon so far hasn’t been a new movie announcement or a trailer reveal. It’s the fact that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg has never appeared at the event, either in its current or former incarnation, ShoWest. But Universal Studios brought the visionary auteur out not only to discuss his new summer release, “Disclosure Day,” but to accept the inaugural MPA American250 Award.
Spielberg received the honor from MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, who said the “Jaws” director, “is an unmatched artist, a uniquely visionary creator, and a true American legend. No one better represents the American spirit, and no one is more deserving of this special award.”
For his part, Spielberg had a lot to say. During his refreshingly candid remarks, he praised Universal for going to a 45-day theatrical window but asked, “Do you hear 60 days? Do you hear 120 days? Those days gotta becoming back to us soon. We have to insist on making it happen.” He also admitted, “Sometimes it feels like a cage match between the small screen and the big screen, and after COVID, it seemed like our days were numbered. But there is hope. And it’s up to us to tell those stories for people to have a real, social experience.” When he sat down with his “Disclosure Day” star, Colman Domingo, for an extended chat, he noted that if studios keep remaking movies based on established IP, “we’re gonna burn out.” He added, “We need more new films like ‘Project Hail Mary,’ which is based on a book.”
For all the adulation and fanfare for the living legend, however, Spielberg was primarily on hand to promote “Disclosure.” And he repeated several times that the film is much closer to the truth about UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) than his film “Closer Encounters of the Third Kind” was fifty years ago. And for those who are concerned that the movie’s first trailer hasn’t shown enough to whet audiences’ appetites, Spielberg revealed he’s asked the marketing department to hide the third act in the materials. That being said, the new preview revealed the heart of the film’s storyline.
As previously seen, Margaret (Emily Blunt) is a Kansas City meteorologist who begins to speak an undecipherable language during a live broadcast. Daniel (Josh O’Connor) is convinced the government or some organization is hiding the truth about UAP from the public. When he hears her speak on TV, he knows he’s heard that language before.
If you’ve watched that initial preview, you’ll notice imagery of a reindeer guiding two children toward a quaint home in the snow. The new footage shows those two children on tables and that reindeer morphing into an alien who is examining them. Yes, as children, Margaret and Daniel may not have known each other, but they were both abducted by aliens at the same time. Scary.
Meanwhile, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), the head of evil tech corporation Wardex (we’re going to assume it’s evil), is intent on stopping Margaret and Daniel from finding each other or speaking to the public. The last thing he and his company want is any sort of “disclosure day.” That is something Hugo (Domingo), a former employee of Wardex, absolutely wants.
A massive car chase ensues with Daniel crashing into his own country home to grab his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) and then crashing out of it before they can catch them. The chase also finds Margaret and Daniel’s car slammed into a train, and the latter grabs her right before another oncoming locomotive hits them. These are the sort of big, impressive set pieces you expect from someone of Spielberg’s caliber. The new footage also teased that Firth’s character may potentially be an alien in plain sight. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t.
The question is whether Spielberg, who came up with the story for the movie, can surprise audiences who may have read up on or watched too many television documentaries on alien conspiracy theories. Will it feel fresh or all too familiar? That is unclear, but the new preview makes the movie look more like the summer blockbuster Universal was hoping for.
Other highlights of Universal’s event saw Universal Studios topper Dame Donna Langley, or Queen Donna as Snoop Dogg introduced her, once again commit to that 45-day theatrical window with no caveats this time. That’s a big change for Universal since the pandemic. Langley also had a zinger for her colleague at Sony Pictures, who earlier in the week made some smart points about the future of exhibition using a graphic with the Olympic rings. She noted, “I know Tom Rothman was on the stage on Monday and don’t worry I’m not going ot shout at you,” as the crowd laughs. She continued, “As the proud presenter of the Winter and Summer Games on NBC, I could report Tom for unauthorized use,” cue big laughs, “but we all need to get people back in the movies.” She also celebrated “Super Mario Galaxy’s” trajectory toward $1 billion at the box office worldwide, and that many other studios would join the billion-dollar club in what should be an overall “great” year.
Here are some quick takes on the other films highlighted during the Universal presentation.
“Minions & Monsters”
After a surprise introduction from “Super Mario Galaxy” star Jack Black, Illumination head Chris Meledandri gave a very passionate pitch for the latest Minions movie. Meledandri says he thinks the best one they’ve made yet, and watching the footage presented, he might be right. It’s the 1920’s and the Minions have made their way to Hollywood as the silent movie business is booming. In a beautifully animated horse chase across the American West, the Minions find themselves in downtown Los Angeles, having destroyed a movie set in the process. A film director (Christoph Waltz) falls in love with them and casts them all in his next movie. Meledandri says their dreams fade away when the talkie era begins, and their inability to speak dialogue kills their careers. Pierre Coffin’s first solo directing effort, Meledandrl, also noted he believes it’s the filmmaker’s most personal work to date. He insisted the shy Coffin come out on stage, who just waved to the crowd before the duo walked off.
“Other Mommy”
Produced by James Wan and directed by Rob Savage, this horror flick looks like a blast. Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) notices her mother (Jessica Chastain) is starting to act strangely. But is it her mother or the “other mommy”? In a scene before the main trailer unfurled, Bela comes home, and her mom begins to make her dinner…until she starts asking if she can go in her heart again. Her dad (Jay Duplass) arrives and wonders why his daughter is scared. She points under the kitchen table, and an unnaturally contorted version of his wife throws him into the kitchen window pane. For scary, fun, and non-gross-out “horror,” this could be a nice hit.
“One Night Only”
Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro are two twentysomethings (or maybe that should be thirtysomethings), living in New York City. One night a year, pre-marital sex is legal, but the duo is looking for romance, not hook-ups. When they bump into each other on the street, love appears to blossom. The movie doesn’t need “The Purge“-inspired twist whatsoever (it’s actually super annoying and pointless), but both actors radiate movie-star romantic comedy energy that’s hard to ignore. Director Will Gluck has a resume with some hit rom-coms (“Friends with Benefits,” “Anyone But You”), but can he go three-for-three?
“Focker In-Law”
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro had some fun banter beforehand (De Niro repeatedly told the entertained audience, “I didn’t write this”), but the movie’s first trailer is already out. Is it a hit? Or has a 15-year break since “Little Fockers” been too much of a break?
Oh, and did we mention the night kicked off with Snoop Dogg introducing the actor who will play him in the Craig Brewer-directed Snoop biopic, Jonathan Daviss. And Christopher Nolan introduced a long sequence from the highly anticipated “The Odyssey.”
Yes, not only is the industry going to have a good year, so is Universal.
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
