Ridley Scotthad a “nightmare” filming his hugely influential sci-fi horror movieAlien. As one of the greatest genre movies ever made, the 45-year-old film continues not only to influence other filmmakers, but is itself still a going concern and hastwo new projects on the horizon. However, for veteran director Scott, the original movie was made when he was not the renowned Hollywood mainstay he is today. For that reason, working on the film became constantly about having to justify the decisions he was making every step of the way.
It is hard to imagine the world of sci-fi horror without theAlienfranchise. From the claustrophobic, tense 1979 debut, through its blistering 1986 action sequelAliens, and several further sequels and prequels, there are fewer movie monsters that are more recognizable than theH.R. Giger designed creaturesof the franchise. Despite its longevity, though, when making the first movie, Scott recently recalled the struggle at being asked “bigger stupid questions.” Speaking withThe Telegraph, he said:
“The early days, when I hadn’t made a name for myself [were the most challenging]. Doing Alien was a bit of a nightmare, because every move I had to explain… I was 42 years old and independently well off, so I don’t want a Hollywood producer telling me what to do… Doing The Duellists [his first feature film] I’m asked stupid questions. Doing Alien I’m asked even bigger stupid questions. So I get ferocious.”
Scott does not get many of those “stupid questions” asked now, and is one of the most respected voices in the industry. For this reason alone, it is not surprising that, even after more than four decades, his opinion on the Alien franchise is still sought by those taking over from his original concept.
Two Alien Projects Will Continue the Legacy
Like most things in life, you wait for oneAlienproject coming along and end up with two in quick succession. With the lastAlienmovie release being Scott’s ownAlien: Covenantin 2017 – the second in his prequel movies – it has taken seven years for a new entry in the franchise to rear its head. That will come in the form ofFede Alvarez’sAlien: Romulus, a movie that takes place between the events ofAlienandAliensin the franchise timeline, but effectively acts as a stand-alone entry in the saga.
The movie is slated to debut on August 16 in cinemas, but the recent first trailer has already hyped audiences for a movie that will not only sit between the best movies of the franchise, but also emulate the best parts of them. Of course, Scott has been on board the project as producer, as director Alvarez has previously spoken of the invaluable insight given by the franchise creator throughout the process. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterlast month, he said of Scott reportedly liking the new movie:
“He did! As intimidating as it is, that’s the best part of being able to work on something like this. For all of us and whatever it is that we do, the dream is to sit down with the masters of our craft and have a conversation about what we do and learn how to do it better. And the process of making this film definitely gave me that experience with Ridley. At the story level, we first told him what I was planning to do, and then when he read it, I discussed the script with him. And later, when he watched the movie, I discussed my cut with him. So, I consider each one of those moments and creative conversations with Ridley to be a highlight of my career and my life.”
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As well asAlien: Romulus, a TV show that takes place on Earth is also being worked on. This time, under the direction of Noah Hawley, Scott once again had important input into the brand-new story set in theAlienuniverse. Very much like Alvarez, Hawley will be mostly ignoring Scott’s prequel movies and will be keeping focus on the Alien creatures we all know and love from the original film. The show is set just decades beforeEllen Ripley’s fateful encounter with the Xenomorphon board the Nostromo, and Hawley revealed he spoke to Scott at length about the feel his show will have. He toldKCRW’s The Business podcast:
“Ridley and I have talked about this — and many, many elements of the show. For me, and for a lot of people, this ‘perfect life form’ — as it was described in the first film — is the product of millions of years of evolution that created this creature that may have existed for a million years out there in space. The idea that, on some level, it was a bioweapon created half an hour ago, that’s just inherently less useful to me. And in terms of the mythology, what’s scary about this monster, is that when you look at those first two movies, you have this retro-futuristic technology.”
For many fans, it is enough that they are getting two new pieces ofAlienstory to savor. The fact that both seem to be not only harking back to the original movie’s designs and lore, but fully embracing it in their own narratives, seems to be the icing on the cake.
Ridley Scott’sAlienreturns to theaters for its 45th anniversary on April 26. The film can also be streamed on Hulu.Alien: Romulusis released on August 16.
