Ridley Scott Says ‘I’ve Done Enough’ With ‘Alien,’ Thought ‘F— That’s the End of the Franchise’ After Bad Sequels: This Series ‘Should Be as Important’ as ‘Star Wars’

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Ridley Scott, in an interview with ScreenRant, expressed that he feels he has made sufficient contributions to the “Alien” franchise, which he initiated 46 years ago. Despite producing last year’s critically acclaimed film “Alien: Covenant” and serving as an executive producer on Noah Hawley’s upcoming FX series “Alien: Origins,” it seems Scott’s directing days for “Alien” projects have come to an end. In his own words, he stated: “I believe I’ve done enough, and I just hope it continues.

Ridley Scott expressed his astonishment as he observed that the “Alien” series is rapidly expanding, a phenomenon he hadn’t anticipated since he believed the series was on its last legs at one point. Scott helmed the 1979 film “Alien,” followed by James Cameron taking over for “Aliens” in 1986. However, the franchise faced setbacks with controversial installments like those directed by David Fincher (“Alien 3”) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (“Alien Resurrection”).

Scott expressed his opinion saying, “I believe it felt dull after the fourth one,” he said. “I thought mine was quite impressive, and I believe Jim’s was good too. However, I must admit, the rest didn’t impress me much. It made me think, ‘That’s the end of a franchise that should be as significant as ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Star Wars,’ which I consider extraordinary. At least, I believe the first one by George is groundbreaking. It was just as groundbreaking as ‘2001.’ To me, it was that important in terms of cinematic language and new directions.

Scott received the film offer for “Alien” a year following the release of “Star Wars,” as he put it: “I was the fifth potential candidate. It’s a mystery why they would propose ‘Alien’ to Robert Altman. Altman responded, ‘Are you serious? I won’t do this,’ and I retorted, ‘Are you serious? I have to do this,’ because it delves into the realm of heavy metal. So that’s where I stepped in, but then the project stalled.

In 2012, following a break of 15 years, Scott remarked that he decided to reboot the series with ‘Prometheus’, writing it anew from the ground up. Alongside Damon Lindelof, he crafted this fresh take on the franchise. The enthusiasm for more was palpable among the audience, and so he declared, “It needs to soar.” With no guarantee of success, he returned once more to create ‘Alien: Covenant’, which also proved successful. Now, I feel I’ve made a substantial contribution, and all I can do is hope it continues to thrive.

After that, the “Alien” series will introduce “Alien Earth” on August 12, followed by an upcoming movie sequel to “Alien: Romulus,” which is expected to bring back director Fede Alvarez.

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2025-06-05 02:16