Economic Development

Spielberg Movie Spent More than $30M Filming in NJ

On Jun 17, 2026

The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission (NJMPTVC) has announced that Steven Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ spent an estimated $34 million in qualified film production expenses during its 23 days of filming in New Jersey. During that period, the production hired more than 1,800 crew members. ‘Disclosure Day’ premieres in theatres today.

“It’s a thrill to have Steven Spielberg choose New Jersey once again to film another one of his sci-fi productions,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss. “New Jersey’s film tax incentive program is helping attract major productions, like Disclosure Day, which is supporting small businesses and creating jobs across the state. We look forward to continuing to bring new productions to the state to support Governor Mikie Sherrill’s mission to strengthen our economy and deliver real economic impact for communities and families.”

Since the state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program was reinstated, film production in New Jersey has surged. In 2024, in-state production spending from filmmaking hit an estimated $834 million, surpassing the previous record of $701 million in 2022. 556 productions filmed in New Jersey last year, hiring a total of more than 31,000 crew members, nearly doubling the number of crew hires from 2023.

The production filmed in 10 municipalities across six counties, including Buena Vista (Atlantic), Hanover Township (Morris), Jersey City (Hudson), Mendham Township (Morris), Montville (Morris), Morris Township (Morris), Newark (Essex), Upper Township (Cape May), Woodbine (Cape May), and Woodbridge (Middlesex). A testament to the state’s versatility, New Jersey doubled as other locations across the country, such as Kansas, Missouri, and Maryland.

“Disclosure Day was headed to another state to film, but the Film Commission was able to show Spielberg’s team that New Jersey had the big cities and rural towns the script called for. New Jersey is also home to a privately owned railway necessary for a pivotal scene in the movie,” said NJMPTVC Executive Director Jon Crowley. “In addition, the state’s deep talent pool and film infrastructure keep productions coming back to New Jersey, making it a national leader in the industry. Jersey has become a major one-stop shop for any filmmaker’s needs.”

‘Disclosure Day’, Spielberg’s latest science fiction film, stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth and centers on an alien invasion onto Earth. In 2004, Spielberg directed ‘War of the Worlds,’ another alien invasion movie, which filmed in Bayonne, Newark, and Howell Township.

The tax credit program has attracted hundreds of feature films, television shows, and digital media projects to New Jersey. In addition to these individual productions, major studios like Netflix, 1888 Studios/Paramount Global, and Lionsgate, have committed to establishing operations at purpose-built large-scale production facilities across New Jersey. Each studio has committed to long-term occupancy for at least 10 years, supporting permanent job creation and long-term economic growth.

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