Steven Spielberg is one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time, and any film with his name attached is sure to get eyes on it. That includes President Barack Obama, who is a cinephile himself. It turns out that Obama is totally bullying Spielberg over not being invited to an early screening for Disclosure Day. And the story is pretty delightful.
What we know about Disclosure Day is pretty limited, which has only helped to increase hype surrounding the mysterious project. Only time will tell if it becomes one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies, but the former president is definitely invested. Spielberg recently appeared on the podcast IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, where the former First Lady revealed that President Obama is low-key beefing with the Jurassic Park filmmaker. In her words:
My husband is a bully to you when it comes to your movies. I always reprimand him. Because you haven’t let him see this one, and he’s very mad about that.
Honestly, can you blame him? The first reactions to Disclosure Day have been over the top, and there are plenty of movie fans who are chomping at the bit to see the mysterious blockbuster. That includes Barack Obama, who has been bullying Spielberg due to not getting early access. And the way he’s doing it is pretty hilarious.
In addition to being fans of TV and film, the Obamas have also produced a number of projects over the years. So they’re invested in the industry, as well as Spielberg’s work in particular… especially since the former President got to visit the set of Disclosure Day. In the same podcast episode, the E.T. director shared more about the way the “bullying” is going down, offering:
He said if he wasn’t among the first to see it, he was gonna watch it only on an iPhone. And he said he wouldn’t watch it horizontally, he’d only watch it vertically.
Shots fired. Steven Spielberg is a big proponent of the theatrical experience, so President Obama seemingly hit him where it hurts. Not only is he threatening to watch the new movie on his phone, but to watch if vertically. As we know, this will cut out most of the frame… in addition to being a disservice to the way Disclosure Day was shot and edited. You can see the conversation between the director and the former First Lady below:
Luckily for both moviegoing audiences and Barack Obama, the wait for Disclosure Day is nearly over. The mysterious science-fiction movie will arrive in theaters on June 12th as part of the 2026 movie release list. And I can’t wait to see what the former President thinks about Steven Spielberg’s latest directorial venture.
