'Disclosure Day' and the Genius of Steven Spielberg

It’s no secret that Steven Spielberg is fascinated with the cosmos. His latest aliens-are-among-us action thriller, “Disclosure Day,” follows a TV weatherperson (Emily Blunt) and an encryption specialist (Josh O’Connor) as they attempt to understand their connection to life beyond this planet. In doing so, they get entangled in a government cover-up. Ahead of the movie’s release, Wesley Morris spent time with Spielberg and wrote a profile of him for The New York Times Magazine. The 79-year-old director’s appetite for telling stories on the big screen is undiminished — he’s preparing to make his first western — but Wesley writes that as Hollywood adapts to the streaming era, “the idea of a Steven Spielberg has felt endangered.” And so, there’s only one person for Wesley to call when a new Spielberg drops: Eric Hynes, Wesley’s pal and former co-worker from Kim’s Video in New York City. They started their Spielberg conversation over 25 years ago as young cinephiles. On today’s episode, it continues. Together, they consider the evolution of aliens in Spielberg’s work, relive memorable onscreen sequences and think about the strength of the filmmaker’s more-than-half-century canon. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/po... 00:00:00 “Jaws” and Spielberg's enduring energy 00:02:15 Spielberg's persona and "Disclosure Day" 00:05:31 What was your first Spielberg movie? 00:08:39 Rejecting Spielberg's manipulative style 00:10:56 "The Color Purple" 00:12:57 Eric's return to Spielberg's films 00:15:05 "Disclosure Day" plot and themes 00:24:28 "Disclosure Day" as an adult "ET" 00:29:12 Spielberg's early innocence vs. reality 00:31:22 Steven Spielberg’s impact on his audience 00:34:07 William Goldman and comic book movies 00:37:02 Spielberg's evolution in historical dramas 00:39:30 Home and displacement in Spielberg's work 00:42:47 The Tony Kushner collaboration 00:43:21 “Munich”'s morally complex filmmaking 00:51:03 Conclusion and show and tell with an ET doll “Cannonball” is a podcast from The New York Times, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris. Every week, Wesley talks to writers, artists and friends about the culture that moves us — the good, the bad and whatever’s in between. Surprisingly personal and never obvious, new episodes drop on Thursdays. Watch "Cannonball" on YouTube and listen wherever you listen to your podcasts. Subscribe:    / @cannonballpodcast   Follow NYTimes:   / nytimes   Subscribe to NYT Audio: https://bit.ly/3Qz3GZu