Spielberg praises 'extraordinary' Eve Hewson, casts her in new UFO film

Director Steven Spielberg has lauded actress Eve Hewson's performance in the popular series "Bad Sisters," citing it as the reason for casting her in his upcoming film, "Disclosure Day." Spielberg, who previously worked with Hewson on his 2015 film "Bridge of Spies," expressed his admiration for her "extraordinary work" in the recent television series.

“

She’s wonderful. I had previously worked with Eve Hewson on Bridge of Spies (2015), she played Tom Hanks’ daughter. But I thought of her because I was a big fan of Bad Sisters. I thought she did extraordinary work in that. So, she got the part pretty quickly.

"She's wonderful. I had previously worked with Eve Hewson on Bridge of Spies (2015), she played Tom Hanks’ daughter," Spielberg exclusively told RTÉ Entertainment. "But I thought of her because I was a big fan of Bad Sisters. I thought she did extraordinary work in that. So, she got the part pretty quickly."

In "Disclosure Day," Hewson plays Jane, a former nun whose partner, Daniel, portrayed by Josh O'Connor, becomes a whistleblower. The film delves into decades of secrets surrounding extraterrestrial encounters on Earth. O'Connor also praised Hewson, describing her as an "extraordinary actor" and a supportive colleague who helped him manage his anxiety on set.

“

As Steven said, she's an extraordinary actor but she’s also so fun to work with. She’s also a brilliant friend and very supportive. I’m quite an anxious person and when I was feeling anxious, she would really lift me up. She’s terrific.

Spielberg returns to a theme that has captivated him throughout his career, exploring extraterrestrial encounters close to home, reminiscent of his earlier works like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), and "War of the Worlds" (2005). He noted that while George Lucas "owns" space adventures, his own focus remains on terrestrial, near-Earth phenomena.

“

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of this turned out to be true? Almost 50 years later, I’m now thinking: ‘Wouldn’t be it be wonderful for us to actually know that all of this is true?’

The inspiration for "Disclosure Day" also draws from a 2017 New York Times article detailing the Pentagon's U.F.O. program and reports of Navy pilots encountering unidentified aerial vehicles. Spielberg stated that the idea for the film had "always" been on his mind, particularly the possibility of confirming the reality of such encounters, a sentiment he first expressed nearly 50 years ago.

“

My territory is close to home, all of our homes. And so, this is something that’s always been on my mind, it’s never left me.