Spielberg Calls Out Hollywood's "Branded IP" Obsession

I know we've had this talk on here before, but it feels like every major Hollywood movie that gets rolled out into theaters is either based on a book, a video game, or a sequel. This kind of high-level IP is what Hollywood has leaned on over the last twenty years, sometimes to great success.

But as we try to revive theatrical numbers, it feels like that engine might be done pumping. And maybe, just maybe, we'll go back to valuing original storytellers...

Like Steven Spielberg.

At CinemaCon 2026, the legendary director took the stage to unveil the first look at his upcoming original sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day , and he didn't hold back on the current state of Hollywood.

Let's dive in.

The "Disclosure Day" Reveal

Disclosure Day marks Spielberg’s first major foray back into the summer blockbuster territory in nearly a decade, and I will be there on opening day because I am a nerd.

It's cool that after a run of prestige dramas and personal projects like The Fabelmans , the director is returning to the genre that defined his career: extraterrestrials.

What's cooler is that Spielberg always finds a way to wrap original stories into his career, no matter what genre he's working in. More on that later.

The film stars Emily Blunt as a weather reporter who stumbles upon a connection to otherworldly visitors, alongside Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo. It was written by longtime collaborator David Koepp (Jurassic Park), and it sounds like it’s leaning heavily into the "grounded sci-fi" vibe of Close Encounters.

Again, I will be first in line for this one.

Spielberg also said that the film was inspired by the real-world 2017 New York Times report regarding the Pentagon’s secret UFO program. "The world became more accepting of the fact that we probably are not alone," Spielberg told the crowd, and added that this film is designed to ask the big questions that have haunted him since he was a kid.

Another big question he had: where are all the other original movies?

The Warning: "We’re Going to Run Out of Gas"

While the footage from the movie, which reportedly featured high-speed train chases and a chilling non-human hand, wowed the exhibitors, it was Spielberg’s Hollywood advice that resonated with me the most.

The director issued a warning to studios about the over-reliance on IP.

“If all we make is known, branded IP, we’re going to run out of gas,” Spielberg said. “There is nothing more important than giving the audience visual stories, and they can be in any form, but we need to tell more original stories.”

I don't know about you, but I got into this business to tell stories. I like IP and adaptations, but originals are great because when you watch them, you never truly know 100% what's going to happen next.

Originals, like spec scripts, are the most accurate depictions of what is inside our hearts, and it's cathartic to share them with an audience as well.

For filmmakers and screenwriters, this is the ultimate validation.

Spielberg is effectively saying that the survival of the theatrical experience depends on the industry's willingness to take risks on new ideas...and new people as well.

That matters for everyone trying to build a career in this business.

Summing It All Up

As a filmmaker, it’s easy to feel like you have to "write for the algorithm" or find a way to attach your script to a pre-existing property just to get a meeting.

It's exhausting.

But when the most successful director in history stands up and says that the "branded IP" well is running dry, people listen.

And I hope they don't forget it.

What do you think of Spielberg’s comments? Is Hollywood actually running out of gas, or is IP the only thing keeping the lights on? Let us know in the comments.