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Ridley Scott Steps Away from Alien Franchise, Eyes Future Growth

by Penelope Oct 06,2025

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.

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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

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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.

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