Aliens have always inspired Steven Spielberg. Now, he thinks “they are here” on Earth

Steven Spielberg now says he believes extraterrestrials have visited Earth and may still be here, citing circumstantial evidence and testimony he has heard in Congress. His view marks a shift from the agnosticism he expressed around the release of *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*, and reflects a lifelong fascination with alien life.

Spielberg’s films have portrayed aliens in different ways, from the hopeful visitors in *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* and the friendship in *E.T.* to the threat in *War of the Worlds*. In an interview promoting *Disclosure Day*, he said he thinks aliens “have been here and they are here”, while acknowledging uncertainty about whether they have always been here. The article notes that no conclusive evidence has established alien life or a visit to Earth.