Steven Spielberg, a name synonymous with cinematic excellence, has once again captured the imagination of audiences with his latest sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day. Opening to an impressive $44 million from 3,824 theaters, the film has defied industry expectations and set the tone for the summer box office in 2026.
The film, which cost $115 million to produce and $80 million to market, is one of the summer’s biggest gambles. With theaters keeping about half of the revenues, Disclosure Day needs to earn around $300 million globally to be profitable. The film’s strong opening is a testament to Spielberg’s enduring appeal and the public’s appetite for high-concept sci-fi.
Disclosure Day: A Strong Start with Room to Grow
Disclosure Day has received solid reviews from critics, boasting an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audience scores are mixed, with a “B” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. This discrepancy raises questions about the film’s long-term box office potential. Despite this, Spielberg’s movies tend to have significant staying power, as evidenced by his 2018 summer blockbuster, Ready Player Onewhich opened to $41 million and ended up with $137 million domestically and $607 million worldwide.
Internationally, Disclosure Day has generated $48.9 million from 73 markets, bringing its global start to $92.9 million. David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, notes that overseas audiences could contribute to the film’s theatrical longevity. “Sci-fi thrillers do well abroad. These are visual stories that everyone understands,” he says.
The Spielberg Effect: A Legacy of Box Office Success
Spielberg, who helped create the summer box office season with Jaws in 1975, is the most commercial director of all time. His escapist blockbusters like E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialJurassic Parkand Raiders of the Lost Ark have left an indelible mark on cinema. More recently, Spielberg has favored prestige fare like The PostWest Side Storyand The Fabelmanswhich scored hordes of Oscar nominations but didn’t successfully introduce the prolific filmmaker to younger generations.
This was reflected in the turnout for Disclosure Daywhere 60% of moviegoers were 35 or older. Initial crowds were eager to watch the twisty conspiracy thriller on the biggest and brightest screens, with premium large formats representing a mighty 48% of grosses. The film stars Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor as a meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert who join forces to expose the government’s cover-up of extraterrestrial life.
Box Office Shifts: The Rise of Horror and the Struggle of Franchises
Elsewhere at the domestic box office, last weekend‘s newcomers, Paramount’s horror parody Scary Movie and Amazon MGM’s toy adaptation Masters of the Universeeach suffered a brutal 70% decline in their sophomore outings. Scary Movie slid to third place with $14.5 million from 3,504 theaters, bringing domestic ticket sales to $84.5 million and $173.1 million worldwide. Despite the steep drop in attendance, Scary Movie cost just $30 million to produce and is poised to reap financial rewards.
Masters of the Universeon the other hand, will have a harder time justifying its mega price tag. The sword-and-planet adventure dropped to No. 5 with $8.6 million from 3,677 locations. It has earned just $45.7 million in North America and $84 million worldwide and, against a nearly $200 million production budget, will leave theaters as one of the year’s biggest bombs. This kind of turnout suggests the movie isn’t expanding beyond the core fanbase of older males.
Meanwhile, Obsession continues to do unprecedented business with $19 million in its fifth weekend of release, a 25% decline, and enough for second place on box office charts. What’s more impressive is that the breakout horror hit, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, has had four consecutive weekends that were larger than its already-impressive $17 million debut. Now the low-budget Obsession has generated $188.3 million in North America and $265 million globally. It’s the highest-grossing release of all time for its distributor, Focus Features.
Backroomsanother horror sensation, captured the No. 4 spot with $12 million from 3,404 venues in its third weekend. The film, from another YouTube phenom Kane Parsons, has grossed $160 million domestically and $262 million worldwide to date. After less than two weekends on the big screen, Backrooms overtook Marty Supreme ($191 million) as A24’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu keeps faltering at the box office. In sixth place, the film brought in $4.7 million from 2,680 venues in its fourth outing. The space adventure, a spinoff of the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorianis shaping up as a major theatrical dud with $165 million domestically and $315 million globally against a $165 million price tag.
Another new release, the disaster parody Stop! That! Train!opened in ninth place with $2 million from 1,161 locations. The well-reviewed comedy, from director Adam Shankman, follows two stewardesses who have to save the day when a huge storm threatens to derail a high-speed train. RuPaul leads the cast alongside several Drag Race favorites like Ginger Minj and Jujubee.
Right now, Hollywood is feeling optimistic because the domestic box office is 13% ahead of last year, according to Re.
