Ridley Scott: 'Enough' with Alien, Hopes Franchise Evolves

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Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott has confirmed his departure from the Alien franchise, stating: "I believe my contributions are complete."

The 87-year-old visionary behind 1979's groundbreaking Alien and its 2012 prequel Prometheus told ScreenRant: "Regarding its future direction, I feel I've made my mark and simply hope the series continues successfully."

Scott has entrusted the franchise to talented successors, including Fede Álvarez with the well-received Alien: Romulus (already greenlit for a sequel) and Noah Hawley developing the FX series Alien: Earth. The franchise also makes notable appearances in the upcoming Predator: Badlands.

Scott reflected on the franchise's decline following 1997's Alien: Resurrection, which motivated his return with Prometheus. After Alien: Covenant in 2017, the mainline films remained dormant until Alien: Romulus' 2023 release.

"The series lost momentum after the fourth installment," Scott remarked. "I take pride in my original work, and James Cameron's sequel was strong, but subsequent entries fell short. It frustrated me that this universe didn't achieve the cultural significance of Star Trek or Star Wars, which I greatly admire."

The Alien Franchise Timeline

Scott explained his creative process: "Years later, I decided to revitalize the series. Prometheus emerged from entirely new concepts - Damon Lindelof and I developed it from scratch. The audience response proved the franchise's enduring appeal."

"After proving its potential with Prometheus, I followed with Alien: Covenant, which also succeeded. Now, I believe new voices should carry the torch forward."

While stepping back from directing, Scott remains involved as producer on Alien: Romulus and executive producer for Alien: Earth through Scott Free Productions. The recently released Alien: Earth trailer has already sparked significant fan speculation.