Universal Shifts Untitled Steven Spielberg Event Film Away from ‘Avengers’ and ‘Mandalorian’ Movies

Universal is shifting its untitled Steven Spielberg event film away from “Avengers: Doomsday” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” and straight into the “Scary Movie” reboot’s territory. The untitled Spielberg movie was set for a May 15, 2026 theatrical release; the film will now wait nearly another month, releasing wide on Friday, June 12, 2026.

The shift is not all about Spielberg, IndieWire has learned.

The June slot was previously occupied by another untiled Universal event film, that one directed by Daniels Kwan and Scheinert. The Daniels film is now undated, but a new release date will be announced shortly. It has a script, a person with knowledge of the situation told IndieWire, but needs a little more time. Internally, the Spielberg shift is being looked at as a win-win for both (untitled, event) films.

It’s not like there is no competition set for Spielberg’s new date — it’s just now less of a crossover with potential movie goers. June 12 is the same date the rebooted “Scary Movie” is set to release, and is one week after “Masters of the Universe.” The Spielberg pic will get a one-week head start on “Toy Story 5.” All in all, it is a less-competitive slot.

Universal’s original event film created and directed by Spielberg will star Josh O’Connor (“Challengers,” “The Crown”), Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer,” “A Quiet Place”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing,” “Rustin”), Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech,” “Kingsman” franchise), and Eve Hewson (“Bad Sisters,” “The Perfect Couple”). Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce for Amblin Entertainment.

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, who wrote the script for “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” So yeah, they’ve worked together before. Koepp also wrote the script for the upcoming “Jurassic World Rebirth.”

In April 2024, Variety reported that Spielberg’s next project will “likely” be “a UFO film based on his own original idea” and written by Koepp. Sounds like an event film to us.

Then again, pretty much any Spielberg film is an event film — for cinephiles, at the very least. Spielberg is the top-grossing director of all time and a three-time Oscar winner: Best Director and Best Picture for “Schindler’s List,” and Best Director for “Saving Private Ryan.”

In 2022, IndieWire (and others) reported that Spielberg was working on a Frank Bullitt biopic. Bradley Cooper was later set to star as Bullitt, the character made famous from the 1968 Steve McQueen thriller. That one was set at Warner Bros. with Spielberg slated to direct from a screenplay by “Spotlight” Oscar winner Josh Singer. It was intended to be a completely original story and not a remake of the original “Bullitt” movie by Peter Yates. Cooper and Spielberg were set to produce with Kristie Macosko Krieger; the same trio produced Netflix’s “Maestro.” McQueen’s son Chad and his granddaughter Molly were named as executive producers on Spielberg’s “Bullitt.”