In an interview with the American website Vanity Fair, Ridley Scott revealed that he never had the opportunity to direct the two Alien sequels after the first film released in 1979. A situation that he deeply regrets today.
An under-rewarded talent. As incredible as it may seem, Ridley Scott never had the opportunity to direct the sequel to Alien after the success of the first film released in 1979. This is what the director revealed in an interview with the Vanity Fair website. A situation that can be explained by the fact that he was only at the beginning of his career, and that he feared reliving the difficulties encountered in the production of this first part.
“I was slow in my early career. I should have done the sequels to Alien and Blade Runner. You change over the years. At that time, I didn’t want to go through the same experience again. So James Cameron came in – and then David Fincher – for Alien,” he says. “I’m the author of both franchises. Most directors in Hollywood – certainly the ones at my level – never let that kind of thing go. But Alien was the second film of my career, so I didn’t really have a choice. And Blade Runner was my third film. So I didn’t have a say in it because I had very tough partners. That was my ‘Welcome to Hollywood’ moment. I was never talked to, or asked, to do the sequels. You can imagine I wasn’t happy,” he continues.
Last fall, Ridley Scott had already shared his frustration about “Blade Runner 2049,” which was directed by Denis Villeneuve. While he said that the latter did “a good job,” he acknowledged that he would have liked to take care of the direction himself. But, because he was to direct “Alien: Covenant,” Ridley Scott was forced to abandon the sequel to “Blade Runner.” “I should never have found myself having to choose. But that’s what I was forced to do,” he explained to the Empire website.
Having learned from his past experiences, Ridley Scott managed to avoid a similar situation with “Gladiator 2”, expected in theaters on November 13, with Paul Mescal in the lead role, and the presence of Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal in the cast. At 86 years old, Ridley Scott has one of the most impressive filmographies in the history of modern cinema. He will also be present as a producer in the credits of the film “Alien: Romulus” whose direction was entrusted to Fede Alvarez, and which will be one of the must-see films of the summer of 2024 in theaters.
