And Now, a Moment of Silence for All the Alien Movies That Never Got Made

As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgic longing when I read about the various aborted attempts to continue this iconic saga. The stories of Neill Blomkamp’s concept art and Walter Hill’s treatment for Alien 5 fill me with a strange mix of excitement and melancholy, much like the emotions Ripley herself must have felt as she faced off against those terrifying xenomorphs.

The journey to Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, the seventh film (ninth if you count the Alien vs. Predator entries) in one of the most impactful sci-fi franchises ever, has been a long and bumpy ride filled with many projects that never came to fruition compared to those that made it to the silver screen. With a series as enduring as this one, which is nearing its 50th anniversary, there have been far more unrealized ideas than successful productions. Contemplate the alternate universe where Aliens director James Cameron revisited the franchise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon penned the fifth movie, or Prometheus‘s Michael Fassbender was allowed to reprise his role as David. Some of these were mere concepts, while others came incredibly close to bursting onto the Hollywood blockbuster scene. Here are eight of the most intriguing aborted attempts at expanding the universe born from Ridley Scott’s Alien. (Note: We’re excluding director’s cuts and workprints of existing films that have been released in some form because, well, they technically do exist even if they sometimes suggest alternate directions the franchise might have taken had they been released theatrically.)

The One That Put Ripley to Sleep

In 1987, as David Giler, Walter Hill, and Gordon Carroll geared up to create the next installment of the blockbuster film Aliens, they opted for an unanticipated twist: primarily pushing Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley character to the side, with her in a coma for most of their narrative, and elevating Michael Biehn’s Hicks as the central figure instead. This move didn’t sit well with 20th Century Fox, given Weaver’s Oscar-nominated performance, but she apparently agreed to this shift in perspective, with aspirations to reclaim the limelight in a fourth film that would be filmed concurrently. Giler and Hill then enlisted a literary great for scriptwriting: William Gibson, the renowned cyberpunk author who was basking in the afterglow of 1984’s Neuromancer.

The screenplay by Gibson is easily accessible online and has been transformed into a book and a five-part comic series published by Dark Horse. Initially, it focuses on the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of Weyland-Yutani, who are still trying to weaponize the alien. However, things pick up significantly in the second half with action sequences. This script introduces a novel concept: a new alien-human hybrid that could drastically change the course of the series. It can be transmitted as an airborne contagion and disguise itself among humans, similar to John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” Gibson’s screenplay also enhances Hicks’ role and reintroduces Newt and a functional Bishop into significant positions.

The Unfilmable ‘Piece of Junk’

In the sequel to Die Hard 2, director Renny Harlin had been hired for Mel Gibson’s Alien 3. However, the project faced issues when Gibson was requested to collaborate with Harlin on revisions that aimed to blend action sequences with the author’s original concept. This led to a standstill, and eventually, Gibson departed, expressing dissatisfaction over the producers’ delays. In his absence, Harlin recommended Eric Red (Near Dark) for script revisions. Reportedly, Red presented a script that significantly altered Gibson’s vision, featuring a new soldier character named Sam Smith on a planet resembling Middle America, with none of the characters from the first two films, not even Ripley. Even Red himself would later describe his script as “junk.” This drastic departure from the original idea ultimately led to the project’s demise and forced Fox to return to the drawing board.

In a new twist, the production studio tasked David Twohy with crafting an innovative screenplay for Alien 3; he produced one devoid of Ripley, instead set on a prison planet. This script was considered unfilmable, leading director Renny Harlin to abandon the project. Subsequently, director Vincent Ward recruited writer John Fasano to develop a drastically distinct version of Alien 3, which would take place in a space monastery constructed primarily from wood. This draft served as the foundation for the later Alien 3, killing off Hicks and exploring themes of faith. However, when the studio demanded an accelerated release date, Ward and Fasano left the project. As a result, David Hill and Walter Giler adopted the structure created by Ward/Fasano, replaced the wooden setting with Twohy’s prison concept, and entrusted it to an emerging director named David Fincher.

The Joss Whedon Script That Sigourney Weaver Hated

Back in 2009, Sigourney Weaver told MTV that a fifth Alien film was planned, with Joss Whedon penning the script. However, Weaver wasn’t pleased with Whedon’s draft, as it was set entirely on Earth. With Weaver no longer interested and rumors swirling about an upcoming Alien vs. Predator movie, the series ultimately moved away from Ripley’s story. One can only wonder what could have been if things had gone differently. Whedon was involved in Resurrection, a film he later criticized for being a subpar Alien movie that bore his name. The film ends with a Ripley clone and the android Call (played by Winona Ryder) on the blue planet. It appears that Whedon’s script would have continued this storyline, picking up right where Resurrection left off and concluding Ripley’s arc at home after 250 years in space. Unfortunately for fans, Weaver didn’t approve of it.

The James Cameron and Ridley Scott Team-Up

Following the disappointing reception of “Alien: Resurrection” and the conclusion of Whedon’s vision, the Alien franchise had multiple paths it could have taken. One intriguing possibility was a reunion of the original directors who had made the series such a phenomenon initially. In 2006, Cameron informed Ain’t It Cool News that he and Ridley Scott had discussed creating another Alien film, with Cameron proposing to 20th Century Fox the development of a fifth Alien movie. Around the same time, Scott hinted to The Chicago Sun-Times that he was seriously considering returning, expressing interest but emphasizing the importance of crafting a compelling story. Although Scott eventually rejoined the franchise with “Prometheus”, Cameron didn’t return. In his words, when he learned that 20th Century Fox was planning “Alien vs. Predator”, he chose to part ways. He described it as “Frankenstein Meets Werewolf” – just Fox exploiting their assets by pitting them against each other. During the same interview, Cameron admitted that he eventually grew fond of the spin-offs, while Scott, promoting Prometheus, said he hadn’t seen any of the spin-offs yet.

The Weyland-Yutani Backstory No One Asked For

The franchise’s foray into the ‘Alien vs. Predator’ universe culminated in the mediocre film ‘Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem’. Despite its poor critical reception, with only a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it managed to earn over $130 million at the global box office, which is surprising given its dismal reviews. Remarkably, it almost didn’t mark the end of the series. Directors The Brothers Strause, who helmed ‘Requiem’, were discussing a third film in the ‘AvP’ franchise during the production of the second, hinting that the next sequel would be set on a spaceship, similar to most films in the main ‘Alien’ series. In an interview with io9 in 2010, Greg and Colin Strause revealed their vision for ‘AvP3’, which aimed to connect with the ‘Alien’ series by implying that the Predator weapon handed to Ms. Yutani (Françoise Yip) at the end of the second ‘AvP’ film could have led to the emergence of the malevolent Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

In 2018, Liam O’Donnell, the director of ‘Skylines’, disclosed on X that he had written a unique script for ‘AvP3’ in 2018, which was set in South Africa. This script emerged due to global warming causing the release of the Xenomorph Queen from the original ‘AvP’ film. Although he acknowledged it was chaotic, the prospect of a movie ending with a battle royale between one Predator, one Alien, and one Human is quite appealing. Subsequent ‘Predator’ movies have been hinting at a potential (even imminent) third ‘AvP’ film – for instance, there’s a Predator skull in the 2010 movie ‘Predators’, and an alternate ending to ‘The Predator’ (2018) showcases an Alien Facehugger device produced by Weyland-Yutani. Alex Litvak, co-writer of ‘Predators’, even mentioned in 2020 that the planned sequel to that film was going to incorporate the Colonial Marines from ‘Aliens’.

Neill Blomkamp’s Tantalizing Visions

In the mid-2010s, an intriguing concept emerged for a film set after the events depicted in Resurrection, spearheaded by director Neill Blomkamp, known for his work on District 9. Titled Alien: Awakening at one stage, this movie aimed to reassemble characters like Ripley, Hicks, and Newt, as if the third and fourth Alien films had never occurred. Blomkamp, a dedicated fan of the Alien franchise, developed his own concept art, immersing himself in a world he cherished both personally and professionally. When he revealed some of this artwork – showcasing Ripley in an alien suit, a room filled with eggs, and a severely wounded Hicks – it seemed for a while that this project might become reality. Sigourney Weaver, who played Ripley, expressed her support, stating, “He kept sending me these fantastic designs and ideas. We’ll see what happens.” Many shared her excitement, even after Fox redirected resources towards Scott’s prequel Alien: Covenant, seemingly putting Blomkamp’s vision on hold. However, James Cameron, the director of the original Aliens, continued to suggest that it was not entirely dead. In a red carpet interview, he said, “I’m working on that.” Unfortunately, all hope for this movie faded when Fox and Disney merged.

The Ending Ripley Deserved

In the late 2010s, there was a moment when it seemed like one of the creators behind the Alien series was planning to give Ripley the ending she deserved, as per Walter Hill’s 50-page treatment for Sigourney Weaver. David Giler, another co-writer and producer, stated that this script, set after Alien: Resurrection, would explore both the lore of the Alien franchise and the fate of Ellen Ripley. It’s intriguing to speculate if Hill himself might have directed this potential revival. Sadly, the merger between Disney and Fox in 2022 appears to have shelved the Hill version, with the studios focusing on Romulus instead. However, since Romulus takes place between Alien and Aliens, there’s still a chance for a post-Resurrection storyline. So, while it may not be a film forever, perhaps it could find life in a comic book like Gibson’s? Fans would surely enjoy reading it.

Ridley Scott’s Unfinished Trilogy

Is Ridley Scott still active in the movie industry? Despite his advanced age, Scott continues to be busy; he’s set to return to Gladiator later this year and is producing FX on Hulu’s Alien: Earth, a reboot series due in 2025 from Fargo creator Noah Hawley. Could there also be an Alien: Covenant sequel? Before the release of that film, Scott mentioned plans for two more prequels… and we’ve only seen one. Rumors surfaced in the late 2010s about a film in production with a script from Skyfall writer John Logan, titled Alien: Awakening (much like the abandoned Blomkamp project). An Alien-themed issue of Empire suggested that Logan’s script continued David’s story, battling the Engineers, and potentially connecting more dots between this series and the original film. In 2019, Variety reported that a third Scott prequel film was in the script phase, with him returning to direct it. However, the Disney-Fox merger seems to have halted progress on this series, at least temporarily. But, as we know, these alien creatures are tough to eliminate.

2024-08-24 16:56