New Delhi, June 15 -- Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, the Emily Blunt-led alien-encounter thriller in which a Kansas City weather reporter intercepts the signal that pulls humanity into first contact, opened to $44 million domestic and $93 million worldwide over the June 12-14 weekend, per Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The number landed roughly $5 million above the soft tracking projections that had Universal Pictures bracing for a sub-$40 million launch as recently as Wednesday.

a stretch that includes his three theatrical releases since (The BFG, Ready Player One, The Fabelmans) all opening below $20 million. The New York Times headlined its weekend recap "Disclosure Day Ends Spielberg's Summer Box-Office Drought," a...