Steven Spielberg’s New Sci-Fi Movie Just Spent $34M Filming in NJ

Why Steven Spielberg Just Dropped $34 Million on His New Sci-Fi Blockbuster in New Jersey

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Jersey City NJ, The truth is officially out. Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated alien sci-fi thriller, “Disclosure Day,” has officially hit theaters, and it brought a massive economic windfall to the Garden State.

According to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission (NJMPTVC), the production spent an estimated $34 million in qualified expenses over just 23 days of filming in New Jersey, providing a massive boost to local businesses and hiring over 1,800 local crew members.

Here is a closer look at why Hollywood’s most iconic director keeps returning to New Jersey—and where the new blockbuster was filmed.

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What is “Disclosure Day” About?

Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, Disclosure Day centers on the chaotic global aftermath when the public finally discovers the truth about aliens following decades of government cover-ups.

The film marks a thematic return to form for Spielberg, echoing the deeply atmospheric, extraterrestrial wonder he first explored in his 1977 masterpiece, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

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The Secret ‘Disclosure Day’ Filming Locations in NJ

While Disclosure Day was originally scouting other states, New Jersey’s diverse topography ultimately won the production over. The script demanded a mix of gritty urban centers and expansive rural backdrops—plus one incredibly specific logistical asset.

“New Jersey is home to a privately owned railway necessary for a pivotal scene in the movie,” revealed NJMPTVC Executive Director Jon Crowley.

In total, the sci-fi epic filmed across 10 municipalities in 6 different counties:

• Atlantic County: Buena Vista

• Morris County: Hanover Township, Mendham Township, Montville, and Morris Township

• Hudson County: Jersey City

• Essex County: Newark

• Cape May County: Upper Township and Woodbine

• Middlesex County: Woodbridge

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Spielberg’s Long History with the Garden State

Spielberg actually lived in Haddon Township, NJ, during the 1950s, and Disclosure Day is just the latest in a long line of his projects to utilize the state as a cinematic canvas:

Movie	NJ Filming Locations	Fun Fact
War of the Worlds (2005)	Bayonne, Newark, Howell Township	Starred local Glen Ridge native Tom Cruise.
West Side Story (2021)	Paterson, Newark	Recreated 1950s New York City architecture.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)	Orange	Used for Leonardo DiCaprio’s master-of-disguise pursuits.

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Inside New Jersey’s Billion-Dollar Film Boom

The state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program (reinstated in 2018) has turned New Jersey into a national powerhouse for entertainment production.

In 2024, in-state film production spending shattered records to reach an estimated $834 million, up from $701 million in 2022. Last year alone, 556 individual productions touched down in Jersey, employing over 31,000 crew members.

The state is no longer just a temporary backdrop. Industry titans like Netflix, Paramount Global (1888 Studios), and Lionsgate have all committed to building massive, state-of-the-art production facilities in New Jersey with long-term 10-year leases, promising thousands of permanent jobs and historic economic growth.

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