Disney probably has the biggest pockets in Hollywood. Year after year now, they come out on top at the box-office, leaving competing studios in the dust. Does Disney really even have “competition”? At this point, not really. They make crowd-pleasing movies for everybody, meaning there’s not a whole lot of risk happening at Disney. It’s why we’ll probably never see another Alien film anytime soon.
The Return of the Alien
Filmmaker Ridley Scott’s prequels to his sci-fi horror classic have been polarizing. Scott first returned to the Alien universe with Prometheus, which divided fans but still made a profit at the worldwide box-office. The sequel to Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, is an epic improvement with a group of charismatic characters, pure nastiness, and an epic scale rarely seen in horror. Flaws and all, Alien: Covenant is a beautiful and nasty delight to the eyes. The movie left the door open for the return of the evil android David (Michael Fassbender) and more xenomorphs, but mixed reviews and poor box-office numbers didn’t help a sequel’s chances.
Ridley Scott Wants More Xenomorphs
Ridley Scott isn’t done with the Alien universe, though. He has more sequels in mind. Recently, Scott told LA Times there are more stories to tell in his science-fiction world. He already has a script, too. Scott explained his motivation for more Alien:
“What I always thought when I was making the first one [was] why would a creature like this be made and why was it traveling in what I always thought was a kind of war-craft, which was carrying a cargo of these eggs. What was the purpose of the vehicle and what was the purpose of the eggs? That’s the thing to question — who, why, and for what purpose is the next idea, I think.”
The new Alien prequels answer questions that aren’t terribly interesting, but they’re filled with big ideas and incredible sights and wonders from Scott. Story-wise, they’re a bit on the weak side, but visually, they’re evocative and immersive enough to make us want more Alien movies. Plus, Michael Fassbender is fantastically creepy in these movies, so the more of David, the better.
Would Disney Take the Chance?
The short answer: probably not. Scott didn’t comment on whether Disney has any interest in more Alien movies. It seems highly doubtful. Yes, it’s a famous title and property and franchise, which is Disney’s bread and butter. It’s also an R-rated, not family-friendly franchise. They aren’t movies for everybody, which is all Disney typically makes. It’s too bad given their resources. Then again, maybe under the 20th Century Fox name, another Alien movie could happen. We’d certainly like to see Scott finish what he started with these prequels.
Another Reason Why Disney Owning Fox is Bad
Ridley Scott had a great relationship with 20th Century Fox. He could make adult movies there, like the Alien films. Disney makes kids movies, rarely anything for adults. When they bought 20th Century Fox, it was one less place in Hollywood to get a serious, grownup movie made that doesn’t have to appeal to everybody. If 20th Century Fox wasn’t under the thumb of Disney, we’d probably get another Alien movie from Ridley Scott and loads of other interesting films driven by the visions of filmmakers, not the appetites of Disney’s global audience.
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