Ridley Scott Suggests That Future ALIEN Films Could Shift Focus From Xenomorphs To AI

Ridley Scott Suggests That Future ALIEN Films Could Shift Focus From Xenomorphs To AI

Could we really see less xenomorphs in future Alien films? Ridley Scott believes AI "much more dangerous and more interesting" than actual aliens, and therefore the future of the franchise. Do you agree?

By MattIsForReal - Dec 04, 2017 06:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Alien
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction horror film Alien not only jump-started the director's career, but also became a staple in sci-fi cinema while also spawning an entire franchise of films. While the franchise has struggled to find its footing with audiences since the James Cameron-directed Aliens released in 1986, there always seems to be intrigue surrounding xenomorphs. Well, if Ridley Scott has his way, xenomorphs could be on the way out.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the director talked a bit about the future of the Alien franchise, suggesting it could shift its focus from aliens to AI.

"We are [going to make another], we are,” Scott confirmed, before dropping a major bomb. “I think what we have to do is gradually drift away from the alien stuff.”

While it may certainly sound odd to fans of the franchise, Scott defended his position. “People say, ‘You need more alien, you need more face pulling, need more chest bursting,’ so I put a lot of that in Covenant and it fitted nicely," the director said, adding, "But I think if you go again you need to start finding another solution that’s more interesting. I think AI is becoming much more dangerous and therefore more interesting.”

The director cited Facebook's recent experiment from last summer to prove his point. “They put two AIs together and they were communing. It already invented a f—ing language! And they couldn’t decipher what the language was so they had to switch them off. What was said and where’s it gone? They could have already implemented something we don’t know.”

Anyone familiar with Scott is already aware of the director's fascination with AI, so this shift probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. In fact, Scott's Alien: Covenant - while returning to its sci-fi horror roots - had a major emphasis on AI, particularly with Michael Fassbender's characters David and Walter. And, of course, Ridley Scott is also widely known for bringing the world of Blade Runner - a film that's heavily focused on AI (Replicants) - to life on the big screen. But, if films like Blade Runner 2049 and Alien: Covenant are any indication of the path the Alien franchise is on, then 20th Century Fox better start bracing itself now for potentially disappointing box office returns. Though the Denis Villeneuve-directed Blade Runner 2049 was much more well-received than Alien: Covenant, both struggled domestically at the box office.

While there's no doubt AI can be just as, if not more, terrifying than actual aliens, it'll be hard to convince fans that putting less xenormophs into future Alien films is a good thing for the franchise.


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Toecutter
Toecutter - 12/4/2017, 6:57 PM
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/4/2017, 8:24 PM
@Toecutter - FFS. Just make a goddamn Colonial Marines franchise already. They were already the best part of the entire franchise.

Colonial Marines film. They don't even have to fight Xenomorphs. Have them facing down a different threat every film. They could even make each movie about a different squad if they want.

Why is this such a hard decision to make? Why are we talking about removing aliens from a frigging franchise entirely based on ALIENS.

Goddamn it....
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 12/4/2017, 10:56 PM
@Toecutter - They need to take this franchise away from him and let Guillermo Del Toro direct one.
TheLight
TheLight - 12/4/2017, 7:06 PM
Yeah, not really sure about how that would've taken off. Maybe he was worried about alien fatigue down the line. I would've like to have seen Blomkamp's film instead but it doesn't look like it'll ever see the day.
Kevwebsz
Kevwebsz - 12/4/2017, 7:06 PM
No dumbass.
You keep Aliens.
You want AI villains? Make a new franchise.
Oh and maybe go practical with Aliens.
bcom
bcom - 12/4/2017, 7:09 PM
Prometheus and Covenant were not great movies so I think Ridley should let this franchise die before it turns into the Terminator franchise and starts confusing it's own timeline.
EpitomeofAwesome
EpitomeofAwesome - 12/4/2017, 7:10 PM
I would rather see him make new stuff instead, honestly. He made The Martian only a few years ago and I loved that. Same with James Cameron. I'd love to see him make some more original films, instead of spending his time crafting the seven Avatar sequels or how every many there are. As much as it sucks, these guys won't be able to make movies for THAT much longer. Cameron has more time since he's only 63, but Ridley Scott is 80 years old. At this point in his career, I'd rather see a few passion projects than a couple more Alien sequels.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 12/4/2017, 7:11 PM
Why do people let him still make Alien films?
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