Ridley Scott Reflects on Alien Legacy, Looks to Franchise's Future

Renowned filmmaker Ridley Scott has signaled a step back from directing the Alien franchise, stating, “I’ve contributed my share.”

The 87-year-old British director and producer, who helmed the iconic 1979 sci-fi horror Alien and rekindled the series with 2012’s Prometheus, shared with ScreenRant recently: “The franchise is on a strong path now, and I hope it continues to thrive.”

Scott has entrusted the Alien series to skilled creators, with Fede Álvarez’s hit Alien: Romulus and Noah Hawley’s upcoming FX series Alien: Earth, known for Fargo. Alien: Romulus performed so strongly that a sequel is in development. The upcoming Predator: Badlands also weaves in Alien crossover elements.

In the same discussion, Scott reflected on the Alien franchise’s decline after 1997’s Alien: Resurrection, which spurred his drive to revitalize it with Prometheus. He followed with 2017’s Alien: Covenant, the last mainline film before Alien: Romulus emerged last year.

“After the fourth film, the series lost its spark,” he remarked. “Mine was strong, and James Cameron’s Aliens was solid, but the others fell short. I thought, ‘This franchise deserves to stand alongside Star Trek or Star Wars,’ which are remarkable.”

The Alien Movies in Chronological Order

He continued: “Years later, I decided to bring it back with Prometheus, starting from a clean slate. Damon Lindelof and I crafted Prometheus together.”

“It resonated with audiences who craved more. I felt it needed to soar. No one else stepped up, so I made Alien: Covenant, and it delivered. Now, I believe I’ve done my part, and I hope the franchise keeps evolving.”

While Scott has no plans to direct another Alien film, he served as a producer on Alien: Romulus and is an executive producer on Alien: Earth through his company, Scott Free. The first full trailer for Alien: Earth has sparked excitement among fans.