Ridley Scott Moves On From Alien

Legendary director Ridley Scott has signaled he's stepping back from the Alien franchise, stating: "I feel I've done all I can."

The 87-year-old English filmmaker, who helmed the groundbreaking 1979 sci-fi horror Alien before rejuvenating the series with 2012's Prometheus, told ScreenRant in a recent discussion: "As for where it's headed now, I believe my part is complete, and I simply hope it continues to evolve."

Scott has entrusted the Alien universe to skilled successors, with Fede Álvarez's well-received Alien: Romulus and Noah Hawley's FX series Alien: Earth. Alien: Romulus performed strongly enough to greenlight a sequel. Additionally, the upcoming Predator: Badlands includes several Alien crossover elements.

In the same conversation, Scott reflected on how the franchise declined after 1997's Alien: Resurrection, sparking his determination to revitalize it with Prometheus. Scott continued the story with 2017's Alien: Covenant, which remained the series' last mainline installment until last year's Alien: Romulus.

"I sensed the energy had faded after the fourth installment," he noted. "I consider my original strong, and Jim's [James Cameron's] Aliens was excellent, but the subsequent entries didn't measure up. I thought, 'This can't be the end of a franchise that should stand alongside Star Trek or Star Wars,' which I find extraordinary."

The Alien Film Series in Chronological Order

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He continued: "Years later, I decided to bring it back, developing Prometheus from the ground up—starting with a blank page. Damon Lindelof and I worked together to shape Prometheus.

"The response was immediate and positive. Audiences were clearly eager for more. I felt it needed momentum. When no one else stepped in, I took the lead again with Alien: Covenant, which also resonated. Now, I believe my contribution is complete, and I simply hope the story continues to expand."

While Scott has confirmed he won't direct another Alien film, he served as producer on Alien: Romulus and acts as executive producer for Alien: Earth through his Scott Free Productions. Regarding Alien: Earth, its debut full trailer gave fans substantial material to anticipate.