The Alien universe is about to grow exponentially with FX backing a franchise’s first-ever series.
At the time of the announcement, Alien director Ridley Scott, who returned the franchise to helm both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, was in advanced talks to executive produce the small screen series for the cabler.
Now, in an interview with the BCC, as transcribed by Variety, Scott reveals that a pilot is currently being written with what will translate to 8-10 hours of the show. The same is being done with a Blade Runner series.
“Alien” was first announced back in 2020 with Noah Hawley (“Legion,” “Fargo”) attached as showrunner and developing.
As the site notes, FX boss John Landgraf described the project last year as “the first Alien story set on Earth — and by blending both the timeless horror of the first Alien film with the non-stop action of the second, it’s going to be a scary thrill ride that will blow people back in their seats.”
This past July, Hawley clarified that “it’s not a Ripley story,” adding, “She’s one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don’t want to mess with it. It’s a story that’s set on Earth also. The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate.”
Head over to Vanity Fair to read the full chat with Noah Hawley.