Ridley Scott regrets choosing to direct Alien: Covenant over Blade Runner 2049

Ridley Scott is responsible for many film classics that will be recognized in the zeitgeist for years to come. Two of his most celebrated works come from the sci-fi genre, with the films Alien from 1979 and Blade Runner from 1982. Although, of the two, Alien was the one that became an instant classic, while Blade Runner was initially a flop that had acquired its following over time and it is now recognized as one of the greatest films in science fiction with its profound themes, stellar effects that still hold up, and a fully realized noir-ish world.

As franchises and the re-visiting of intellectual properties dominate the modern film world, both of Scott’s signature works have been given sequels/prequels in recent years. Alien: Covenant would be Scott’s follow-up to the Alien prequel, Prometheus, and Blade Runner 2049 would be the direct sequel to Scott’s cult hit that starred Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, which both released in 2017. According to Variety, Scott recently told Empire that he now regrets selecting Alien: Covenant as the project he directed instead of Blade Runner 2049, which was helmed by Dune and Dune Part 2 director Denis Villeneuve.

Scott states in the interview, “I shouldn’t have had to make that decision. But I had to. I should have done Blade Runner 2.” Although Villeneuve was in the director’s chair, Scott would still be involved as an executive producer on the movie. Additionally, he will also be involved with Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming limited series Blade Runner 2099, which he revealed was being developed back in 2021. “I’m one of the producers. It’s all set years on. To me, it circles the idea of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.”

Vernon Sanders, head of global television for Amazon Studios, says of the series, “The original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we’re excited to introduce Blade Runner 2099 to our global Prime Video customers. We are honored to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, Blade Runner 2099 will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors.”