Ridley Scott Says ‘I Don’t Need Advice’ on Directing and Tried Not to Meddle With ‘Alien: Romulus’: ‘If I Fall on My Own Sword and Lie Bleeding’ Then ‘It Was My Fault’

As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I can’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and nostalgia when reading about Ridley Scott‘s involvement in the upcoming “Alien: Romulus.” Having directed two of my favorite entries, “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Scott has always been a master at crafting suspenseful, thought-provoking science fiction.

Following his work on “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), Ridley Scott handed over the director’s role for the upcoming “Alien: Romulus” to Fede Alvarez, known for directing “Don’t Breathe” and “Evil Dead”. Although Scott is no longer the director, he remains a significant producer on the project. He has been closely collaborating with Alvarez during its development. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Scott shared that Alvarez’s initial screenplay draft was rather lengthy, as most are at the beginning, and they have been refining it together.

“All franchises risk fading away unless someone takes charge and moves forward with an idea, like grabbing a ball and running with it on a field,” Scott explained to the press. “Fede is full of vitality, so I had to take a step back and let him lead the way… Fede had a clear vision for his business plan, and his strategy was well-defined, though extensive. As with any screenplay, it’s usually lengthy.”

Whenever Alvarez achieved a milestone during the production of “Alien: Romulus”, Scott consistently refused to intervene in the director’s work, since solicited guidance while directing his own projects is something that he strongly dislikes.

“Scott expressed that it can be overwhelming when everyone seems to offer unsolicited advice, especially when you’re trying to manage things independently. He emphasized, ‘I don’t need any advice.’ If he makes a mistake and suffers the consequences, he takes responsibility for his actions, saying, ‘It was my mistake.'”

As a cinephile, I’m eagerly anticipating that Fede has another masterpiece in store. I have high hopes for its success, and it seems his genius is unstoppable.

Last year at the DGA Latino Summit, Alvarez mentioned that he had to carefully submit the high-pressure version of “Alien: Romulus” to Scott.

“Alvarez mentioned that he wanted Ridley to be the first one to view it. People warned him that Ridley can be quite challenging, especially when it comes to his films, particularly those related to his own works. Ridley was known to be tough during ‘Blade Runner [2049]’, a movie Alvarez considered a masterpiece, but Ridley had some difficulties with it because it was challenging for him as it was his work.”

“Regardless if Scott expressed his opinion or not, I intended to watch the film and confront him directly, face-to-face,” the director explained about their encounter. “I wanted to see his reaction in person, even if he criticized me by saying ‘You’ve ruined my legacy.’ Instead, he walked into the room and said, ‘Fede, what can I say? It’s amazing!’ One of the nicest things he complimented was my writing skills: ‘The dialogue is fantastic. Are you the writer?’ Yes!”

The sci-fi film “Alien: Romulus” is scheduled to hit theaters on August 16th. Following this, Ridley Scott will be directing the much-anticipated sequel to “Gladiator,” titled “Gladiator 2.” This film is set for release in cinemas on November 22nd, with Paramount as the distributor.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times’ website to read Alvarez’s latest profile in its entirety.

2024-08-08 20:46

Ridley Scott Says ‘I Don’t Need Advice’ on Directing and Tried Not to Meddle With ‘Alien: Romulus’: ‘If I Fall on My Own Sword and Lie Bleeding’ Then ‘It Was My Fault’

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