At this year’s South by Southwest, one of the most anticipated conversations wasn’t around a film premiere, but a keynote featuring one of the greatest filmmakers of all time: Steven Spielberg. Spielberg took the stage for a conversation moderated by Sean Fennessey from ‘The Big Picture Podcast‘ offering a reflective and humorous look at his career, creative instincts, and ideas that have followed him for decades. Especially the ones beyond our world.
How I found myself seated just four rows from the stage in a reserved section for Universal Pictures guests is a story for another time (thanks again Universal!), but what stood out immediately was the room itself: completely full, every seat occupied by bageholders who understood this was a conversation not to be missed. The line to get in was wrapped around the entire Hilton hotel with attendees willing to wait over an hour for just to sit in on the conversation. That’s the power of Spielberg.
Fennessey brilliantly led the conversation spanning his entire filmography, but the clear throughline was Spielberg’s curiosity about the unknown. His fascination with extraterrestrial life has shaped some of his most iconic work: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, War of the Worlds, & more. During the conversation, Spielberg traced his obsession back to early influences, including the 1950 film Destination Moon, which he described as a grounded, yet “terrestrial” depiction of space travel. The idea of Hollywood working in consultation with scientific understanding beyond Earth, left a lasting impression for the filmmaker at the time which anchored his curiosity into something that felt plausible. He knew what what films he wanted to make.
But when Spielberg wanted to first make Close Encounters, he couldn’t get traction. At the time, studios didn’t understand the concept of a UFO-driven narrative. That changed pretty much overnight after Jaws. During the conversation, Spielberg explain’s Jaw’s success didn’t just make him a household name but it gave him it gave him the credibility he needed to reopen those earlier conversations with studios. It quickly shifted to: what do you want to do next? His answer never wavered: he wanted to make Close Encounters.
Throughout the conversation, Spielberg hinted (carefully but deliberately) at his upcoming project, Disclosure Day. I would be remiss if I didn’t enter a promotional plug at this point:
Disclosure Day (in theaters June 12th) stars an ensemble cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Coleman Domingo, Wyatt Russel, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson. Though details remain tightly under wraps, what we know so far is the story centers around the chaotic global fallout when alien existence is proven.
Fennessey pressed on the idea of Spielberg’s repeated engagement cinematically with alien encounters reflects a deeper commentary about humanity’s trajectory. Referencing films like Close Encounters, E.T., and Ready Player One, he asked whether Spielberg has grown more wary of the world over time. Spielberg’s response was a bit more measured: as a filmmaker (who are known to be both personal and inquisitive in their work), he’s gotten more aware. That awareness inevitably seeps into his work. Stories evolve just as the storyteller does.
Some of the most revealing moments in the keynote came when the conversation turned personal. Spielberg spoke candidly about how making E.T. changed him. Not just as a filmmaker, but as a person. At the time, he admitted that while working with child actors, it sparked something unexpected. He didn’t want the experience to end. Joking that Barrymore actually “never went home,” – she’s deeply in his life til this day. The film was shot largely in continuity, allowing genuine relationships to form, and it awakened in him a desire to become a parent.
The conversation also veered into real-world speculation. Fennessey brought up comments made by Barack Obama on a podcast that many interpreted as hinting at UFO disclosure. Spielberg admitted he was briefly thrilled for those comments, which would highlight his own film – Disclosure Day. Still, the question lingered: are we truly alone? And perhap, have we been alone for the last 3,000 years?
Despite a career defined by extraterrestrial encounters, Spielberg noted joked that he’s never had one himself. Which, given how much he’s contributed to the cultural imagination of UFOs, he mused that it would only be fair if he were among the first to witness one!
My favorite part of the discussion was when it turned inward to modern-day filmmaking – specifically the pacing of storytelling today. Fennessey noted that many contemporary filmmakers have been creating films largely set in the past due to the state of smart phones and short-form content. Spielberg himself acknowledged the shift while citing the speed didn’t abruptly start within the last few years. Instead the short-form content was introduced during the 1908s when music videos & commercials were on the rise. Complete stories were being told in 5 minutes or less.
Spielberg then expressed admiration for more meditative works, citing Train Dreams as an example of a film that captures an entire life span of 75 years told with patience and restraint in under 2 hours. I agree. Train Dreams was actually in my top 2 favorite films last year for that very reason.
When asked directly by Fennessey on whether his own films are “moving faster,” Spielberg deflected with humor. “Disclosure Day moves very fast,” he said with a cheeky smile.
The entire discussion was a blend of reflection, curiosity, and quiet anticipation of the legend. Even after decades of redefining cinema, Spielberg remains at his core, a true storyteller who’s work stands the test of time. And if you’re wondering, yes – he is definitely still looking up, wondering what’s out there, and how best he can bring it back down to Earth and onto our screens.
