For Ridley Scott‘s Alien franchise to thrive in the future, it must learn this key lesson from Christopher Nolan and Batman.
Scott is planning a return to the Alien universe, the franchise he helped create with 1979’s Alien. In 2012, Scott directed Prometheus, an Alien prequel and his second directorial effort in the franchise. Five years later, Scott helmed the Prometheus sequel, Alien: Covenant.
Now, Scott is planning a third Alien prequel. According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Scott said the Alien: Covenant sequel will revolve around David, the android played by Michael Fassbender, who creates a “brave new world for himself.”
“AIs can go off,” Scott said regarding David and how it’s a malfunctioning AI. “And if they do, it’s like a bomb.”
Scott deserves all the credit for helming one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time in Alien. He should still have a hand in Alien’s future. However, those plans should not involve him directing a third Alien prequel.
Ridley Scott must step away from directing in the Alien franchise
In Hollywood, endings should be seen as positives, not negatives. Scott has done so much for the Alien franchise over the years. Yet it’s time to let a new voice step behind the camera.
Scott should be stealing a page out of Nolan’s playbook when it comes to endings. After 1997’s Batman & Robin, the Caped Crusader was at an all-time low in Hollywood. Warner Bros. wanted to relaunch the property, but they couldn’t crack the code. Nolan walks in with a new take on Batman’s origins, and the result was 2005’s Batman Begins.
Nolan would direct a trio of Batman films: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. It’s now considered one of the best trilogies in movie history, with The Dark Knight on the shortlist of greatest comic book adaptations ever. Nolan brought Batman back from the dead and took it to new heights. More importantly, he knew to leave after The Dark Knight Rises, preserving his pristine reputation in the Batman universe.
The Alien franchise lost its way in the 2000s with Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. Like Nolan, Scott revitalized a popular Hollywood property with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. However, Alien: Covenant did underperform at the box office and killed momentum for a third film.
The success of 2024’s Alien: Romulus is even more of a reason for Scott not to direct an Alien movie. Directed by Fede Álvarez, Alien: Romulus garnered positive reviews and grossed $350 million worldwide. A sequel was reportedly in development, but Álvarez eventually exited the project.
Why would the studio prioritize Scott’s third Alien prequel instead of a Romulus sequel? That’s above my pay grade, but it’s the wrong decision. The Alien franchise proved it can thrive with Scott attached as a producer, not a director, in Romulus. Plus, Scott isn’t exactly generating massive hits anymore as a director, as The Dog Stars appears to be another misfire.
Scott did his job by bringing the franchise back. It’s time to move and let someone else create a new Alien story or direct the third Alien prequel.
