Ridley Scott Says Alien Has 'Run Out'

Screen Rant

Alien: Ridley Scott Says 'The Beast Has Almost Run Out'

By Padraig Cotter

Published Nov 3, 2017

Alien: Covenant director Ridley Scott once again expresses his belief the famous Xenomorph creature has been played out on the big screen.

Despite including the title beast in Alien: Covenant, it seems director Ridley Scott feels the creature has run out of steam. Scott’s Alien prequels have been somewhat divisive from the outset, and while there was much excitement when the filmmaker returned for Prometheus, his creative choices have sparked much debate within the fanbase.

The Alien itself wasn’t included in Prometheus, which focused on a group of scientists discovering the origins of mankind. The film received good notices for being an ambitious blockbuster that asked interesting questions - but the screenplay and unlikeable characters were singled out for complaint. However, Michael Fassbender received praise for his turn as the android David, and his character then became the focus of Alien: Covenant. While the Alien made a reappearance in the final act, this section is commonly considered the weakest of the film, and the beast’s inclusion ultimately felt like a marketing gimmick.

Related: Ripley Appearance In Alien Prequels Still Possible, Says Ridley Scott

In a new roundtable interview with THR, Scott once again reaffirms that he feels the creature has been played out. Scott has stated for years that he feels H.R. Giger’s nightmarish creation has been “cooked” due to constant exposure from various sequels, comics and video games, and that something fresh is needed. While answering a question about why he chose to helm Alien: Covenant over Blade Runner 2049, he addressed this need for change: “But I think the beast has almost run out, personally. You’ve got to come in with something else. You’ve got to replace that. And so I was right, I was ahead of the game."

Why did Ridley Scott decide to produce #BladeRunner2049 instead of direct? pic.twitter.com/m89KW5YZso— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 2, 2017

Scott’s comments line up with another recent interview, where he outlined where he sees the franchise going next. He wants the next movie to focus on David, and the kind of world this rogue A.I. will create free from humanity or morals; basically, it will be David playing God on a new planet. The director has also stated the Engineers will return next time, and they won’t be happy with David when they discover he wiped out an entire planet of Engineers in the previous entry.

While that’s certainly an intriguing prospect, another Ridley Scott Alien movie feels far from certain right now. Covenant had a disappointing box office run, and the reviews were very mixed. Scott’s ambition to move the series around from the actual Alien and focus on A.I. instead is already proving controversial too, so Fox may not be happy about the director flat out stating the creature has “run out.”

The studio has yet to make a call on what the next Alien movie will be, but if they do press ahead with Scott’s vision, they’ll likely want the Xenomorph to at least make a cameo.