Disclosure Day Hit With Major Delay in a Key International Market

Steven Spielberg has a new sci-fi film on the way, and, as often happens with big blockbusters, the release schedule has gone a bit haywire—especially if you’re in Japan. The film, 'Disclosure Day', is shaping up to be a massive event, not least because it's Spielberg finally returning to the big-budget alien genre. But if you’re one of those people who goes to heroic lengths to avoid spoilers, here’s some news you’ll probably find especially unwelcome.

Japanese Fans Left on Pause

Here's the gist: 'Disclosure Day' is landing in U.S. cinemas on 12th June. Meanwhile, Japanese audiences will be twiddling their thumbs until 1st October. That’s nearly four months of dodging spoilers, memes, and whatever fresh hell social media manages to cook up.

Originally, Japan was supposed to get the film on 10th July—a date much closer to the U.S. release. Universal Pictures Japan made it official (for those who read Japanese, they've posted their apology and update online) and the reaction was immediate. People were not happy, pointing out on social channels that trying to avoid plot details for four months is going to be a losing battle. Given how much of 'Disclosure Day' hinges on mysteries and secrets, you can't really blame them.

Marketing Mayhem

Adding to all this aggravation is the marketing machine. Universal has gone heavy on teasing 'Disclosure Day', pushing out trailers and promo snippets left, right, and centre. The consensus among more than a few fans: they're showing a bit too much for a film that’s supposed to be cloak-and-dagger. Hard to keep the surprises under wraps when your own publicity team puts half the twists in a TV spot.

Classic Spielberg—With Aliens

Spielberg back in alien territory is always going to be headline news. This time, the main character is played by Josh O'Connor—a bloke who somehow gets his hands on government secrets about extraterrestrials. Emily Blunt is in the mix, as a weather presenter who starts experiencing a string of supernatural phenomena (it’s safe to say, not related to a dodgy weather app). Then there’s Colin Firth, on a mission of his own and apparently not keen on the world getting the full story.

• Josh O'Connor: Civilian stumbles onto alien secrets
• Emily Blunt: Weather forecaster with more than a bit of weirdness swirling about
• Colin Firth: Potentially the man trying to keep all this under wraps
• Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell: Supporting cast, each with their own roles to play (you might recognise these names from 'Euphoria', 'The Perfect Couple', and 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters')

Behind the lens we’ve got Spielberg directing, with his favoured screenwriter David Koepp penning the script. John Williams is, as usual, handling the music—because what’s an epic Spielberg blockbuster without that unmistakable score? It’s all going through Amblin, as you’d expect.

The whole thing has been getting fairly positive buzz from early looks, which is probably why the delayed rollout in Japan is causing even more frustration. For now, it looks like Japanese fans will just have to hope they can avoid someone ruining the big reveals before October rolls around.