Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' opens No. 1, while 'Obsession'
sensation continues
[June 15, 2026]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” billed as his first
popcorn movie in years, launched with $44 million in domestic theaters,
according to studio estimates Sunday.
“Disclosure Day” opened largely as expected, collecting $92.9 million
worldwide over its first weekend. That was good enough to give the
79-year-old Spielberg, who conceived the film's story, his best opening
weekend for an original movie, not accounting to inflation.
Of course, Spielberg is the father of the modern blockbuster. But
“Disclosure Day,” released by Universal Pictures, is his first summer
movie in 10 years. And it opened in a much different movie world than
once greeted “Jaws” or “Jurassic Park.” Its closest competition was the
indie horror hit “Obsession,” directed by a YouTuber-turned-filmmaker,
Curry Barker, more than 50 years Spielberg’s junior.
“It played very, very evenly across all of the U.S. and Canada,” said
Jim Orr, distribution chief for Universal. “It did not come across as a
coastal big-market movie. It resonated with everybody.”
While a much-watched NBA finals game might have been expected to depress
ticket sales, at least in New York, Orr said there was no noticeable dip
in the city's box office numbers Saturday night.
After Gen Z propelled moviegoing for the last several weeks, a slightly
older audience drove interest in “Disclosure Day.” Some 41% of
moviegoers were aged 45 and up.
“What's encouraging is that we had this big an opening with that
audience demographic and with the fact that it's an original film,” said
Orr. “So if we're opening this well, and we think we're going to have
great word-of-mouth, and we have an older audience that doesn't
necessarily rush out on opening weekend, all of that points to a great
run through the summer.”
“Disclosure Day” returns Spielberg to the subject of alien life. Emily
Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo star in a chase to reveal
government evidence of UFO encounters. It cost $115 million to make.
While a good start, “Disclosure Day” — like most original movies — will
depend on strong legs to be successful. Reviews (80% fresh on Rotten
Tomatoes) have been strong, though audience response wasn't
overwhelming. The movie landed a “B” CinemaScore.
“It's off to a solid start,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of
marketplace trends for Rentrak. “Let's see how it plays in the coming
weeks. If it holds like some of these other films have, like 'Project
Hail Mary,' 'Michael,' ‘Obsession,' it will be in good shape. Staying
power has been the bread and butter of this year and this summer.”
Meanwhile, the “Obsession” sensation continues. Though it originally
opened with $17.2 million, the Focus Features release has exceeded that
for four consecutive weekends. It did so again this weekend, collecting
$19 million in ticket sales to bring its North American haul to $188.3
million and its worldwide total to $286.5 million.
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This image released by Universal Pictures shows Colman Domingo, from
left, Tommy Martinez, Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor in a scene from
"Disclosure Day." (Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment via
AP)
 Having cost less than $1 million to
make, “Obsession” ranks among the most profitable releases in recent
memory. Focus acquired it for $15 million.
Last weekend’s top film, “Scary Movie,” slid to
third place with $14.5 million. The Paramount Pictures release, the
sixth entry in the horror spoof franchise, dropped steeply from its
opening weekend, down 73%. But with a modest production budget of
$30 million, the Miramax-produced sequel is already a considerable
success. Its two-week domestic total is $88.6 million.
A24’s “Backrooms” added $11.3 million domestically in its third
weekend. It's rapidly grossed $262.3 million globally.
In its second weekend, Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe” fell
fast following a disappointing launch. Its box office dropped 71%
with $8.7 million. Its two-week domestic total stands at $46.7
million
Next weekend, The Walt Disney Co.'s “Toy Story 5” opens with big
expectations at the box office.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:
1. “Disclosure Day,” $44 million.
2. “Obsession,” $19 million.
3. “Scary Movie,” $14.5 million.
4. “Backrooms,” $11.3 million.
5. “Masters of the Universe,” $8.7 million.
6. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $4.7 million.
7. “Michael,” $4.1 million.
8. “The Furious,” $2.8 million.
9. “Stop! That! Train!” $2 million.
10. “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” $1.8 million.
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