The last time Steven Spielberg brought a film to cinemas, we got the semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans. While he’s kept busy as a producer on other things (he will, for example, be weighing in on the new Jurassic World film that Gareth Edwards is about to kick off shooting), we’ve not heard all that much about future directing plans. All that changed today as Universal has announced a new “event movie” from Spielberg scheduled for release in 2026.

Much of the specific details on the film are still being kept quiet – though Variety recently reported that the director has been developing a new take on UFOs as part of his typically hefty To Do list, which means we could be in for a new close encounter.

And behind the scenes, the new project will mark a reunion for Spielberg and David Koepp, who wrote the likes of Jurassic Park, War Of The Worlds and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, among others.

And that’s pretty much all that we know for now –– the film has at least a Stateside release flag planted on 15 May 2026. That puts it in a competitive time period which already boasts Star Wars entry The Mandalorian & Grogu and Marvel’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (or whatever it ends up being called). But is anyone ready to bet against Spielberg? Thought not.