Aliens Expanded documentary takes a 4-hour deep dive into Aliens with James Cameron

Ian Nathan, author of Alien Vault, Terminator Vault, Stephen King at the Movies, The Legend of Mad Max, and books about filmmakers James Cameron, Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, the Coen brothers, the Coppolas, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, and Clint Eastwood, is teaming up with CREATORVC, the production company behind documentaries like the In Search of Darkness trilogy, In Search of Tomorrow, and First Person Shooter to bring us a new documentary called Aliens Expanded, a 4-hour examination of writer/director James Cameron’s 1986 classic Aliens. Copies are available for pre-order through Aliens-Expanded.com, and they say if you get in your order before May 5th you’ll get your name in the credits. Digital copies are expected to be delivered in June, with physical copies shipping out in July.

Featuring interviews with Cameron, Aliens cast members Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Mark Rolston, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope, Cynthia Scott, Colette Hiller, Daniel Kash, Ricco Ross, and Carrie Henn, and crew members Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Robert Skotak, John Lee, Matt Winston, and Graham Hartstone, Aliens Expanded takes a deep dive into this science-fiction classic. Brimming with stories, insight, and wonderful personal detail, this four-hour documentary is the most passionate and sophisticated exploration of Aliens ever made; a love letter to the people who made it and the communities who adore it, reflecting and enhancing the incredible legacy of this beloved epic. The backbone of the documentary is an analysis of the crucial scenes of Aliens in chronological order. Using an innovative graphical ‘scanner’ we travel inside the movie to focus on not just scenes, but individual elements within those scenes, including characters, weaponry, and sets. Along the way, we offer up a fresh and expanded take on the incredible story behind the film: the chance encounter that led to Cameron taking it on, the intense writing process, the intuitive casting of the marines, winning over Sigourney Weaver, finding Newt, the nightmare shoot, and the ultimate triumph. Famous tales are retold, but enriched with new perspectives.

The folks at Collider got a sneak preview of a clip from Aliens Expanded, and you can check that out on their website.

The documentary also goes behind the film itself to look at the merchandising, the expanded universe, and the fan communities, and that section of its running time features interviews with authors, documentarians, and YouTubers, including Alan Dean Foster, Mark Verheiden, V. Castro, Derek Dafoe, and Charles de Lauzirika.

Aliens Expanded sounds like it’s going to offer an awesome viewing experience for Aliens super-fans. Will you be picking up a copy? Let us know by leaving a comment below.