Filmmaker Steven Spielberg returns to the sci-fi genre with Disclosure Day, an ambitious new thriller that explores what might happen if humanity discovered that evidence of non-human intelligence had been hidden for decades. For Colman Domingo, stepping into the world of this film was both exciting and daunting. The Oscar-nominated actor, who plays Hugo, a man navigating loyalty, friendship and a growing moral crisis, recalls feeling overwhelmed on his first day of filming.
“I felt like I was being shot out of a cannon to start with that material,” Colman tells Hindustan Times. “I was afraid of it for a moment, but it’s also great to be a little afraid on your first day.”
Building a friendship fractured by doubt
His first day on set involved a pivotal scene opposite Colin Firth, who plays Scanlon, a former friend and colleague struggling with a profound crisis of faith. To find the emotional rhythm of the relationship, Colman and Colin immediately began working through the scene together.
“I grabbed Colin, who is just a gem of an actor, and we started just running the scene, going back and forth together, and just trying to find a rhythm and tenor that spoke to the shared history of two men who were once close friends and colleagues, but who are now at odds with each other because of one’s crisis of faith in their work,” he explains.
What interested him most was that Hugo never sees the friendship as irreparable. Even in conflict, there is compassion. “My character believes they are still friends, so there is a degree to which Hugo is trying to save his friend by appealing to his better angels,” he says. “Hugo is trying to hold Scanlon accountable for his own soul.”
The personal gesture inspired by his husband
One of the most touching aspects of Colman’s performance came from a place far removed from the film set. For a crucial scene that remains under wraps, the actor made a simple but meaningful choice. “I did something instinctively during this scene: I turned my hands up, so my palms were open,” he reveals.
The gesture came from observing his husband, Raul Domingo, over the years. “This was something I had internalized from Raul, a thing I noticed about him, dating back to when we first met, which was that he sat with his hands open. That told me he was a very open human being — open to whatever the crucial moments of life bring you,” he adds.
As he continued shaping Hugo, he realized that same openness belonged to the character as well. “I realized that was an important quality to Hugo, so I decided he would sit in a very specific way, with hands open,” he explained.
The moment evolved further through conversations with Spielberg. “I initially thought this would be more of an emotional scene for Hugo, but Steven and I began to see that this was more of a Zen moment for Hugo,” Colman recalls. “I just loved how it all came together in the work to create something that was simple, elegant and quite beautiful.”
A sci-fi thriller
Universal Pictures is set to bring Disclosure Day, a new original film created and directed by filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Leading the cast is Emily Blunt, alongside Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo.
The film is based on a story conceived by Spielberg, with a screenplay written by longtime collaborator David Koepp. The film is produced by Kristie Macosko Krieger alongside Spielberg under the banner of Amblin Entertainment. Executive producers include Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.
It arrives in cinemas on June 12, 2026.