Universal reserves May 2026 date for an untitled Steven Spielberg event film

The iconic Steven Spielberg has been focusing more on human dramas as of late, except for the occasional special effects-laden vehicles like Ready Player One and The BFG — even sitting out Indiana Jones for the first time with the last entry, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. However, Deadline has now revealed that Universal Pictures has reserved a release date for May 15, 2026, for what is being described as an “original event film” that has been created by and will be directed by Spielberg.

It is not revealed what the event film is. However, it was reported last month that Spielberg would reunite with frequent collaborator David Koepp for an original UFO movie that has been kept very secretive. The UFO movie is said to be based on Steven Spielberg’s own original idea and that David Koepp is writing the screenplay. Unfortunately, that would be all the information given at this point. However, some of Spielberg’s most iconic films include alien-centric movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Koepp has penned a handful of Spielberg movies, including Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The screenwriter-turned-director is also currently churning out a new Jurassic World entry for Universal.

In addition to this project, it was also reported that Spielberg has also been working on a new movie based on Bullitt, the classic action thriller starring Steve McQueen. The project received an update late last year from Kristie Macosko Krieger, one of Spielberg’s producing partners. “I’m producing it. Steven [Spielberg] and Josh Singer, who is writing the script, they are working on the story,” Krieger said. “I hope we have a script soon as the writers’ strike put us behind a bit. But they are working on it – I couldn’t tell you if it’s the next movie we are making as I don’t know at this point. I think that it will be a wildly entertaining film.“

Based on Mute Witness by Robert L. Fish, the original film starred Steve McQueen as a no-nonsense San Francisco cop who becomes determined to track down the underworld kingpin who killed the witness in his protection. Spielberg will direct the new Bullitt movie as well as produce it, with Josh Singer writing the script. Bradley Cooper is set to star in the project as Frank Bullitt. However, it won’t necessarily be a remake of the original 1968 film, but will instead tell an original story with the Frank Bullitt character at its center. Steve McQueen’s children, Chad and Molly McQueen, will executive produce the Bullitt project, as will Bradley Cooper.