Alien and Blade Runner both spawned sequels, but filmamker Sir Ridley Scott wasn't behind the camera for them. James Cameron helmed the now-classic Aliens, with David Fincher later taking charge of the poorly-received, yet still fondly remembered, Alien 3.
As for Blade Runner, Dune director Denis Villeneuve took charge of Blade Runner 2049, a movie that proved to be a worthy follow-up to Scott's groundbreaking 1982 original.
Talking to Vanity Fair (via SFFGazette.com) about Gladiator II, Scott confirmed he was never asked to direct sequels to either movie or told about their development while it was happening. He blames that on being a relatively new filmmaker and having little interest in making follow-ups at the time.
"I was slow out the starting gate," Scott admits. "I mean, I should have done the sequels to 'Alien' and to 'Blade Runner.' You change over the years. At that time, I didn’t want to go through it again. So Jim Cameron came in - and then David Fincher - on 'Alien.'"
"I’m the author of two franchises. Most directors in Hollywood - certainly, let’s say, at my level - don’t let that stuff go. But I did 'Alien' as my second movie, so I didn’t have much choice," he explains. "And ‘Blade Runner’ was my third movie. So, I had no choice because I had very tough partners."
"It was kind of 'Welcome to Hollywood.' I was never told or asked [about sequels]. You can imagine I wasn’t happy."
Scott has previously said he regrets not helming Blade Runner 2049; he will, however, executive produce the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 TV series, likely giving him far more creative control in the process (whether he plans to retcon Villeneuve's creative decisions remains to be seen).
The director is also believed to have given his seal of approval to Fede Alvarez's upcoming Alien: Romulus, though his involvement with that franchise (and Noah Hawley's TV spin-off) is likely minimal.
Understandably, Scott was keen to take charge of Gladiator II and we recently got a first look at that sequel before its November release. He did step behind the camera to work on more Alien projects, of course, though his prequels - Prometheus and Alien: Covenant - drew a mixed reception and struggled at the box office.
"I shouldn't have had to make that decision [to step down]. But I had to. I should have done Blade Runner 2," Scott said last year. "I have to be careful what I say. It was f***ing way too long. F*** me! And most of that script’s mine."
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