Steven Spielberg wasn’t always living in sugarland.
Indeed, the legendary director shared he made his 1964 debut film Firelight—a science-fiction film following an alien encounter he made at the age of 17—with a budget of $500, which he earned through working odd jobs alongside the support of his late father Arnold Spielberg.
“I earned it,” Spielberg exclusively told E! News in a May 29 interview. “I used to whitewash citrus trees in Scottsdale, Arizona, to earn money. I did a lot, but my dad always said to me, ‘If you go out and earn money to finance some of your films,’ which some of them cost $25 [or] $30, ‘I will match you.’”
“‘So, if your film cost $50 to buy the film and processing for eight millimeter, if you earn $25 I will match it with $25,’” he recalled. “And so I had earned about $250 and my dad matched that, and I had enough money to make my little two-hour, eight-millimeter film.”
While the Jaws director has come a long way since then, his dad’s influence still weighs heavy on his projects. After all, Spielberg shared how his dad inspired his upcoming sci-fi UFO thriller Disclosure Day, in theaters June 12.
“My dad read a lot of science fiction,” the 79-year-old explained, “so I was born believing that out there life exists, intelligent life exists.”
The chilling film starring Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo and Josh O’Connor, to name a few, explores what could happen to the human race if they had proof of extraterrestrial life.
And while the project will mark his 35th directorial feature film, Spielberg is still as hard on himself as the day his career began.
“I never think anything is genius,” he admitted. “That's the last thing I think about. I mean, I start with, ‘Is this gonna work at all? Is anybody gonna buy this?’”
“I didn't set out to make an incredible movie out of Disclosure Day,” he added. “I set out to make a credible movie.”
For more movies hitting theaters this year, read on…
Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach embark on a new adventure across the galaxy.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a happily engaged couple who are put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.
Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page star in this rom-com set against the beautiful vineyards of Italy.
Directed by Jonah Hill, this dark comedy centers on a beloved Hollywood star (Keanu Reeves) who is being extorted with a mysterious video and must make amends with anyone he could have possibly wronged to avoid getting canceled.
In this raunchy comedy, Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser star as marketing executives who pitch a bold condom sponsorship with the World Cup. But after their drunken celebration sparks a global scandal, they must outrun furious fans, criminals, and power-hungry officials to salvage their careers and make it home alive.
A young girl resurfaces eight years after disappearing in the desert.... But what should be a joyful family reunion quickly turns into a horrifying nightmare.
Charlize Theron stars as a grieving woman seeking solace in the Australian wilderness, only to find herself in a white-knuckle fight for survival against a ruthless predator (Taron Egerton).
Jaafar Jackson portrays his uncle, Michael Jackson, in this biopic about the "King of Pop".
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to their iconic roles and the offices of Runway Magazine in this eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon. Also starring Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Simone Ashley and Kenneth Branagh.
The latest installment in the video game franchise (following 2021's Mortal Kombat reboot) sees the fan favorite champions pitted against one another in the battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn. Starring Karl Urban, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tati Gabrielle, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, and more.
Hugh Jackman leads an all-star cast in this comedy about a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, until a local crime leads the sheep to realize they must become the detectives.
Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft - The Tour (Live in 3D) - May 8, 2026
Captured during Billie's sold-out world tour and co-directed by James Cameron, this immersive 3D film brings an innovative new concert experience to the big screen.
Guy Ritchie helms this action thriller starring Eiza González, Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill as a team of secret agents tasked with reclaiming a vast fortune stolen by a ruthless tyrant.
Bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu take their galactic adventures to the big screen. Also starring Sigourney Weaver.
The legendary '80s franchise returns to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure which finds Prince Adam/He-Man and his allies once again battling the fiendish Skeletor. Starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto and Idris Elba.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg is back with this sci-fi thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.
Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the gang return as the toys take on tech in the form of a frog-shaped smart tablet voiced by Greta Lee.
When a ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl (Milly Alcock), reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Disney adds to their live-action remake roster with this reimagining of the 2016 animated hit. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as demigod Maui and Catherine Laga'aia stars as Moana.
This new chapter of the superhero franchise finds Peter Parker (Tom Holland) living and crime-fighting alone in New York, having erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Zendaya returns as MJ and Sadie Sink joins the cast.
Based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book, this animated adaptation will feature the voices of Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, and America Ferrera.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping - November 20, 2026
This highly anticipated prequel revisits the world of Panem and follows young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games. Also starring Glenn Close, Whitney Peak, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Mckenna Grace and Maya Hawke.
An insanely star-studded cast of MCU fan-favorites return to our screens in this fifth installment of the Avengers film series.
Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet return to deliver the epic conclusion to director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy. Also starring Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Javier Bardem.