Steven Spielberg said in an interview with Fantástico that he is familiar with the Varginha ET, one of Brazil’s best-known UFO legends. The story refers to an incident reported in southern Minas Gerais in 1996, when residents of the city of Varginha claimed to have seen strange humanoid creatures. Over the years, the case became one of the most widely discussed and controversial episodes in Brazilian ufological history.
In the interview, Spielberg referred to claims that the U.S. government quickly became involved and sent representatives to Brazil to take the beings away from the Brazilian Army, which was allegedly guarding them. He presented this as one of many stories about unexplained encounters and said there are numerous similar accounts around the world.
The filmmaker is promoting his new feature, “Dia D,” set to open on June 11. Starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, the film depicts a global collapse triggered when governments and world leaders are publicly exposed for hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life. The project continues Spielberg’s long-running interest in aliens and science fiction, a theme he has explored in films such as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and “War of the Worlds.”
Spielberg also said that his view of extraterrestrial life has become even stronger over time. In a recent Universal Pictures trailer, he stated that he is more convinced than ever that life exists beyond Earth than he was when he made “Close Encounters” in 1977. Unlike “War of the Worlds,” which reflected post-9/11 fears and portrayed aliens as hostile, the new film presents them as trying to communicate in an empathetic way.
The director has also been discussing broader UFO-related topics in recent months. At the South by Southwest festival in March, he referenced a remark by former U.S. President Barack Obama, who said in a podcast released in February that extraterrestrials are real. Spielberg’s comments helped fuel renewed attention to the cultural fascination with UFOs and the possibility of life beyond Earth.
According to Variety, Spielberg is also developing a western, a genre he has long wanted to tackle. He said only that the film will include “horses and guns,” while avoiding the usual stereotypes and clichés often associated with westerns. The project suggests that, even after decades of making films across genres, Spielberg continues to explore new creative directions.
Meanwhile, the Varginha case remains part of Brazil’s public imagination. In January, a military court inquiry reported that the alleged ET was actually just a squatting man, a finding that contrasted sharply with the enduring legend. Despite the official explanation, the story continues to circulate as one of the country’s most famous unexplained mysteries.
