Ridley Scott Steps Away from Alien Franchise, Eyes Future Growth

Renowned director Ridley Scott has confirmed his departure from directing the Alien franchise, stating, “I’ve contributed my share.”

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

Scott has entrusted the Alien series to capable hands, with Fede Álvarez’s successful Alien: Romulus and Noah Hawley’s upcoming FX series Alien: Earth, known for creating Fargo. Alien: Romulus performed so strongly that a sequel is in development. Additionally, the forthcoming Predator: Badlands includes several Alien crossover references.

In the interview, Scott reflected on the franchise’s decline after 1997’s Alien: Resurrection, which spurred his return with Prometheus. He followed with 2017’s Alien: Covenant, the last mainline film before Alien: Romulus arrived last year.

“After the fourth film, the series lost its spark,” he remarked. “My Alien was strong, and James Cameron’s Aliens was excellent, but the others fell short. I thought, ‘This franchise should stand alongside Star Trek or Star Wars.’ It’s that significant.”

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 it together.”

“The audience embraced it, craving more. I said, ‘Let’s make it soar.’ No one else stepped up, so I made Alien: Covenant, and it resonated too. Now, I’ve done my part, and I hope the franchise keeps evolving.”

Though Scott will no longer direct Alien films, 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 given fans plenty to anticipate.