I have heard good arguments for both the above.
Actually, the government's suppression of the topic of UFOs (by debunking ALL sightings) would increase public curiosity and appetite for movies on the subject. This is similar to how a lack of government comment on the recovery of the current "objects" shot down results in the growth of conspiracy theories.
>> Do we know that the CIA is behind most of the Hollywood movies on UFOs? Or is a matter of Hollywood simply going where the money is? <<
A little of both? I also believe that Hollywood loves UFOs as a way of simultaneously displacing and discrediting religious belief. “Oh, you believe in the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima? That crazy believes in Roswell, NM! Same thing!!!”
From “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to “ET” to “Contact,” UFO blockbusters always have HEAVY, deliberate parallels to religious experience.
This is a stunningly complex subject.
Hollywood has had the full range from “aliens are wonderful” to “aliens are evil” to everything in between.
Then when you add the CIA (and other .gov) propaganda to the mix it is the next order of confusing and complicated.
Grant Cameron and others have argued it is part of a long term .gov “disclosure” process, getting the populace ready for the day when their belief systems will have to change based on new and blatant facts.
I am not totally convinced that is correct since there have been so many starts and stops over the decades.