Ridley Scott Reveals What He Misjudged About the Alien Franchise

Ridley Scott shared his candid thoughts on the Alien franchise, revealing that he believed it had run its course since 1997. 

Scott Has a Long History With The Alien Franchise

The Alien franchise began with Scott’s 1979 film, which was a major success, earning a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes and leaving a lasting impact on cinematic history. It spawned three sequels—Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997)—as well as the prequel series Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), both directed by Scott. In a recent interview, Scott shared some surprising thoughts about the franchise.

Scott has a long history with the Alien franchise, having directed the original film. He initially believed the series had concluded after Alien: Resurrection, but he came to realize its enduring legacy while working on Prometheus. “I think, wrongly, on Alien, I thought the old beast had worn out. Because when we did the first [set of films], it was me, Jim [Cameron], David [Fincher], and the French guy [Jean-Pierre Jeunet] – there were four. They wore out. The beast wore out,” Scott told GameRadar+. Scott revealed that he discovered the iconic creature by accident, noting that the original title for the film was Star Beast before it was changed to Alien. He emphasized that without this discovery, the movie might not have existed, and it was crucial to design the creature effectively to enhance its impact.

Scott Reflects on the Alien Franchise’s Evolution

However, Scott aimed to avoid certain elements that he believed would ultimately lead to the franchise’s downfall. “And it hangs on what that monster is, and also how you play with it when mostly less is always better for tension. And it’s easier to have a film that’s blood and gore with no tension. I tried to avoid that. And so it died,” Scott said. 

The director expressed sadness for the franchise, viewing it as a monumental series comparable to Star Wars and Star Trek. He discussed his thoughts with screenwriter Damon Lindelof, who co-wrote Prometheus with him.

“So I sat down with Damon Lindelof, actually. We sat down at a table, and spun a wheel to see: where could we go? And it all began with Prometheus,” Scott noted.

Scott is a key figure in the success of the Alien franchise, as his direction emphasizes realism and terror, which enhances the film’s impact as a sci-fi horror movie.

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