Ridley Scott means to replace the xenomorph in the Alien franchise

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

With his 1979 film ALIEN, director Ridley Scott created a franchise that went on for decades without his involvement. He returned to that franchise with the 2012 prequel PROMETHEUS, has taken ownership of it, and is doing his damnedest to completely reshape it.

During an interview with the Empire Film Podcast last month, Scott said that with PROMETHEUS and its follow-up ALIEN: COVENANT he has been trying to transcend the xenomorph and move the series on to another story. That's an intention he has reiterated during a round table discussion with The Hollywood Reporter.

I think the beast has almost run out, personally. You’ve got to come in with something else. You’ve got to replace that. And so I was right, I was ahead of the game."

Although it featured the classic xenomorph, unlike PROMETHEUS, ALIEN: COVENANT was not received with overwhelming positivity – enough to earn a Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, sure, but most viewers seemed to be underwhelmed. Rather than think that maybe people didn't like the movie he made, Scott seems to have taken the low-key response as a sign that he was right, the audience is tired of the ALIEN franchise's titular alien.

In the October interview, Scott said that the story for the next ALIEN film is centered on A.I.s and 

the world that the AI might create as a leader if he finds himself onto a new planet."

Personally, I'm still interested in seeing the xenomorph wreak havoc. It's Scott who I would like to see leave the franchise. Again. I'm not into the story he has been telling.

Why did Ridley Scott decide to produce #BladeRunner2049 instead of direct? pic.twitter.com/m89KW5YZso

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 2, 2017