Universal and Amblin’s Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg’s new alien-themed sci-fi film, is opening stronger than early expectations, with domestic projections rising to about $44 million for the weekend after an estimated $6.5 million in previews. The movie had initially been tracking closer to $35 million, but strong turnout in premium large-format and Imax screenings helped lift business. Roughly half of the domestic opening is being driven by Imax and other premium auditoriums, signaling a better-than-expected launch for the $115 million net production.
Audience turnout is broad but skewing slightly older, with viewers over 45 making up close to 40% of ticket buyers, while millennials ages 25 to 34 were the largest single demo at 24%. The film’s performance is being helped by Spielberg’s enduring brand recognition, a marketing campaign built around mystery, and a trailer that hinted at an unusual mix of awe and suspense. Early audience reaction is mixed but solid, with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score around 75% and a CinemaScore of B, lower than some of Spielberg’s past sci-fi releases but still respectable for the genre.
Internationally, Disclosure Day is also off to a strong start. The film’s foreign rollout added several million dollars across Wednesday and Thursday, putting its worldwide opening on pace to exceed the original $65 million global forecast. The movie is performing especially well in the UK and Ireland, France, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Poland and Australia, where it has repeatedly ranked No. 1 and has been boosted by premium formats including Imax, Dolby, 70mm, and other PLF screens.
In the UK and Ireland, the film posted a strong opening across hundreds of sites and became Spielberg’s widest release ever in the market. In France, it led the box office with a launch well ahead of several recent sci-fi titles. Mexico and Brazil also delivered powerful starts, even with some local competition and, in Mexico’s case, World Cup-related distractions. Australia reported a strong debut across 312 screens, while Germany, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Poland all showed healthy opening numbers and high market share.
The strong early results suggest that Disclosure Day is connecting with both Spielberg’s long-time audience and younger moviegoers looking for a large-scale original event film. The movie still needs good weekend holds to maximize its run, but the opening points to a much healthier start than many had expected. For Universal, the key question now is whether positive word of mouth and premium-format appeal can give the film the legs needed to carry it beyond its first weekend.
