Ridley Scott forever left his mark on Hollywood when he directed 1979’s Alien. 45 years after its release, the sci-fi/horror film remains a seminal classic in its own right, but it also launched a successful franchise that is still going strong to this day. Scott eventually directed two prequels in the form of 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant, though he didn’t direct any of the sequels. That appears to be something the filmmaker regrets all these years later.
Speaking to Vanity Fair about a sequel he did make, the upcoming Gladiator II, Scott explained that Alien, as well as Blade Runner, were both early on in his career, meaning he had a lot less control over what happened with them after he was done. Even so, he expressed a feeling that he should have made the sequels to both of those movies, provided the choice to do so.
“I was slow out the starting gate. I mean, I should have done the sequels to Alien and to Blade Runner. You change over the years. At that time, I didn’t want to go through it again. So Jim Cameron came in – and then David Fincher – on Alien.”
With Blade Runner 2049, Scott was supposed to direct it but, ironically enough, he had to choose between directing Alien: Covenant or that film. He decided to go with Covenant. That probably had something to do with the fact that James Cameron eventually made Aliens in 1986, which became a classic in its own right. Speaking further, Scott claims he was never even asked about the sequels to Alien, let alone offered the chance to direct.
“I’m the author of two franchises. Most directors in Hollywood – certainly, let’s say, at my level – don’t let that stuff go. But I did Alien as my second movie, so I didn’t have much choice. And Blade Runner was my third movie. So, I had no choice because I had very tough partners. It was kind of ‘Welcome to Hollywood.’ I was never told or asked [about sequels]. You can imagine I wasn’t happy.”
Scott does seem to contradict himself a little bit, saying both that he didn’t want to go through it again and that he wasn’t asked about Aliens. There is the legendary story that Cameron only got Aliens made by writing the word on a white board in a pitch meeting at Fox and turning the S into a dollar sign. It wasn’t something Fox was actively pursuing. By ‘86, Scott had established himself in the business, having also directed Legend, a few music videos, and Apple’s infamous Apple Mac: 1984 commercial. So he certainly could have done it, but Cameron got the ball rolling.
Whatever the case, things worked out. Aliens was great, Scott has had a career for the ages, and he eventually got to return to the franchise anyhow on his own terms. Plus, the future is bright, as Fede Álvarez directed the upcoming Alien: Romulus, which Scott thinks is fucking great by the way. Would I like to visit an alternate reality where Scott continued to be the shepherd of this franchise through the ‘80s and ‘90s? Sure. But reality is what it is and that’s fine as well.
Alien: Romulus is set to hit theaters on August 16. For more, be sure to read our deep dive into the Alien 3 novelization.
