Ridley Scott Says He’s Done Making ‘Alien’ Movies

Ridley Scott is finished with the Alien franchise.

Following the release of the title movie in the 1979 sci-fi/horror genre that bore his name, the filmmaker aged 87 took a break from the Alien series. He later re-entered for the 2012 prequel, Prometheus, and its sequel Alien: Covenant in 2017. However, Scott now feels he’s made enough contributions to the Alien franchise.

In an interview with ScreenRant, he shared: “Some time after the release of [Alien], I decided to reinvigorate the franchise, so I wrote a new story for it – starting from a clean slate. Damon Lindelof and I then collaborated to create the script for what became Prometheus.

It was highly evident and warmly received. The crowd yearned for more. I exclaimed, ‘It should soar.’ Since no one seemed interested in it, I returned to create it once more, and indeed, Alien: Covenant proved successful as well.

“Where it’s going now, I think I’ve done enough, and I just hope it goes further.”

Following Scott’s departure from the Alien series after the first film, control of the franchise was handed to several different directors over time. James Cameron directed the sequel Aliens in 1986, David Fincher worked on Alien 3 in 1992, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet took charge for Alien: Resurrection in 1997.

After experiencing the thrill of Alien: Resurrection, the cinematic universe blended the Alien and Predator franchises for the films Alien vs. Predator (released in 2004) and its sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (in 2007), where I found myself on the edge of my seat.

However, Scott admitted he wasn’t a fan of what came after Cameron’s Aliens.

He clarified: “It’s more like a slow burn, not an out-of-control blaze, if you know what I mean. I felt it had lost momentum around the fourth one. I thought mine was quite impressive, and Jim’s was decent too. However, I must admit that the rest were less than satisfactory.

I realized, ‘Oh no, this is the demise of a franchise that should hold its own alongside cinematic giants like Star Trek or Star Wars. I believe the original by George [Lucas] truly set a standard – it was as groundbreaking as 2001. To me, it carried such significance in terms of cinematic language and future filmmaking.’

As a cinephile looking back at the cinematic masterpiece that is Alien, it’s fascinating to know I wasn’t the only one tapped to direct this sci-fi classic. In fact, four other directors were approached before me! The studio initially extended an offer to Robert Altman, famed for M*A*S*H, but he declined the chance to helm Alien.

He mentioned that he’s particularly captivated by exceptional comic works, and he believes that Jean Giraud Moebius, a brilliant French comic artist, was likely the best in the world.

Initially, I was fixated on these objects, when all of a sudden, an unexpected proposition for Alien came my way. Given that design is deeply ingrained within me genetically, instinctively, I knew exactly how to handle it.

Additionally, it so happened that I was the fifth option considered. It leaves me puzzled as to why Robert Altman was given the opportunity for Alien; the mystery behind that choice remains a divine secret. Altman responded skeptically, saying, “This can’t be serious! I won’t do this,” but my response was, “You must be joking! I have no choice but to take it on.