Despite the success of Alien, its sequel took years to develop; it was delayed by lawsuits, a lack of enthusiasm from 20th Century Fox, and repeated changes in management. Based on his scripts for The Terminator (1984) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Cameron was hired to write a story for Aliens in 1983. The project stalled again until new Fox executive Lawrence Gordon pursued a sequel. Although relatively inexperienced, Cameron was given the director role based on his success directing The Terminator. On an approximately $18.5 million budget, Aliens began principal photography in September 1985. Like its development, filming was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at Pinewood Studios. James Horner composed the film's score. The difficult shoot also affected Horner, who was given little time to record the music.
Aliens was released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim. It was well-received for its action, but some reviewers were critical of the intensity of some scenes. Weaver's performance received consistent praise; other members of the cast were positively received, including Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein, who played Colonial Marines. The film received a number of awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Weaver at a time when the science-fiction genre was generally overlooked. Aliens earned $131.1�183.3 million during its theatrical run, one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 worldwide.
Aliens is now considered to be among the greatest films of the 1980s, and both one of the best science fiction and action films and one of the best sequels ever made. It has been called equal to (or better than) Alien. Aliens is credited with expanding the franchise's scope with additions to the series' lore and factions such as the Colonial Marines. With its effect on popular culture and fan following, Aliens has inspired a variety of merchandise which includes video games, comic books, and toys. The film was followed by two sequels � Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997), neither of which were as successful, and a fourth sequel was in development in 2020. The series also has prequels to Alien, Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).
A fifth sequel of the main Alien films was in development in 2020, based on a story by Giler and Hill; Weaver was expected to return as Ripley.
Exclusive: Ridley Scott Directing New Alien Series, Here Are The Details
The Alien franchise is going through a bit of a revival. It had already been announced that a new series was being worked on for FX. This new series, however, has fallen under heavy criticism. The biggest criticism is that the show is going to be set on Earth, which is a far cry from the Ridley Scott format that had been established in the 1970s. This might have been the deciding factor for the long-time director and producer to get involved, as we can happily report through our trusted and proven sources that Ridley Scott is now working on his own Alien series for Hulu, which will be set in space.
There hasn�t been a movie or series set in the Alien universe since Ridley Scott directed Alien: Covenant in 2017. Now, the man is returning to his most beloved franchise. We can also report that Scott is going to be heavily involved not just on the producing level, but he will be writing and directing many of the episodes for the new Hulu series. It is quite interesting that there will now be two different takes on the same franchise seemingly happening around the same time. It might also be worth noting that Hulu is also going to be showcasing the Predator revival film, Prey, which will be premiering on the streaming platform in August. It would be wild to see if Scott is interested in bridging the two franchises.
It does seem a bit cruel that FX is now going to be in direct competition with Hulu in terms of releasing their shows. Ridley Scott directing his own Alien series is going to garner much more attention than the Noah Hawley series. No offense to the man, as Hawley created the Fargo series, which is also fantastic. However, now he has the stiffest competition going against the creator of the franchise. Also, Hawley was already taking a big risk by focusing on Earth instead of in space. Hawley�s series is meant to serve as a prequel, set some 30 years before the events of Ripley and her crew in the first Alien film. There has been no mention of where Scott�s series timeline will be placed.
Quite honestly, the Alien franchise has been one of the best and most entertaining, so we are completely fine with having two different takes. However, Ridley Scott directing his own Alien series has a bit of an unfair advantage. We hope that both are successful in their own rights and that Hawley�s offers a fresh new take that can be appreciated. Who knows, maybe Hawley will be more open to a crossover with the new Predator franchise too. We know we keep bringing it up, but can you imagine if either of these directors were up to blending the two? That would be amazing. We know those movies were cheesy, but they were still wildly entertaining.
We don�t know what to expect from Ridley Scott reviving Alien in his own series, but we can expect a ton of gory kills on the small screen. Xenomorphs are arguably one of the best-designed and creepiest creatures in cinema history, and we can�t wait to see if new versions will appear in his and Hawley�s new shows. Let the battle of the Alien shows begin.
Michael Biehn as Corporal Dwayne Hicks: One of the Colonial Marines' squad leaders; he was hastily cast a week after filming had commenced, and thus was not present for the military training that the other actors playing marines went through James Remar was originally cast as Hicks but left the project over creative differences with Cameron.
Michael Connell Biehn (born July 31, 1956) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator (as Kyle Reese), Aliens (as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks), and The Abyss (as Lt. Coffey). He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror. On television, Biehn appeared in the cast of the Emmy Award-winning 1980s television series Hill Street Blues and the short-lived syndicated show Adventure Inc.
Although Hicks survived the events on LV-426, he was apparently subsequently killed, along with Newt, when they were jettisoned from the Sulaco due to a fire and their Type 337 EEV malfunctioned and crash landed on Fiorina "Fury" 161; Hicks was impaled by a fractured support beam, when the EEV came down in the ocean. His death was included in a report to Weyland-Yutani by the facility's supervisor Superintendent Andrews. The body was later cremated with Newt on Fiorina 161.
"I wanna introduce you to a personal friend of mine. This is an M41A Pulse Rifle, ten millimeter, with over-and-under thirty millimeter pump action grenade launcher." ?Hicks, to Ripley.
Hicks was outfitted with standard issue M3 Pattern Personal Armor and an M10 Pattern Ballistic Helmet for protection; his armor was fitted with a TNR Shoulder Lamp attachment for illumination. He had customized his armor vest with a heart design painted on the chest plate, to which he had attached a small padlock. During the initial operation to Hadley's Hope, Hicks formed the covering element of Second Squad's gun team, and consequently carried the standard assault carbine of the Corps, the M41A Pulse Rifle, as well as an M314 Motion Tracker. Later, when rescued by Marines from the USS Sephora, Hicks armed himself with the upgraded M41A Pulse Rifle MK2 and a M4A3 Service Pistol which he kept in a holster on his right leg. The Corporal also carried an ME3 Hand Welder, which he would frequently use for fortifying barricades or cutting through obstacles.
Alongside his issued gear, Hicks also carried some personal equipment, including a Tracer Bracelet and locator that eventually ended up with Newt. He also notably carried an Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotgun, an old family heirloom handed down to him from his father,7 as a backup weapon holstered in a scabbard on his back.
New �Alien� Movie Starts Filming in March, Reveals Cryptic Synopsis and Full Cast
Written and directed by Fede Alvarez, the ninth film in the franchise stars Cailee Spaeny
20th Century Studios has announced new plot details, cast additions and production status for the latest �Alien� film.
While the premise for the yet-to-be-titled movie has been kept under wraps, the studio did reveal that the film will follow �a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.�
Those who will be faced with the terrifying forms are David Jonsson (�Industry�), Archie Renaux (�Shadow and Bone�), Isabela Merced (�Rosaline�), Spike Fearn (�The Batman�) and Aileen Wu (�Away from Home�), all of whom will join the previously announced lead, Cailee Spaeny (�Mare of Easttown�).
Fede Alvarez, serves as the director, screenwriter and producer, following his direction of horror films, �The Girl in the Spider�s Web,� �Don�t Breathe� and the �Evil Dead� remake. Under the Scott Free banner, original �Alien� director, Ridley Scott serves as an executive producer with Michael Pruss (�Our Friend�). Scott and Pruss are joined by producers Brent O�Connor (�Bullet Train�), Elizabeth Cantillon (�Persuasion�) and Tom Moran (�The Donut King�).
The untitled project joins the prequel series, which first premiered in 2012, with �Prometheus,� followed by �Alien: Covenant.� The prequel series is the latest iteration, and follows the original series which began in 1979, with �Alien,� followed by �Aliens,� �Alien 3,� �Alien Resurrection,� and then the crossover series which began in 2004, with �Alien vs. Predator� and �Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.�
Alien TV series: What we know so far about the FX, Hulu and Disney+ shows
It is claimed that both Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley and original creator Ridley Scott are working on separate series based on the Alien franchise.
So far, the only Alien TV series to have been confirmed is the one that is being written and produced by Noah Hawley, the creator of the Fargo TV show.
It will be set on a near-future Earth, he explained to Vanity Fair in July 2021: "It's a story that's set on Earth... 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."
Hawley also revealed that there will be themes of class and equality, with the aliens attacking upper-class, corporate victims, while lower-class marines are the ones sent to sort it out.
The show is being made for the FX channel in the States with its head, John Landgraf, revealing during the Television Critics Association winter tour late last year that all scripts have been written and filming will start later in 2023. Production will ramp up as soon as Hawley finishes his work on the fifth season of Fargo, he said.
Ridley Scott's Alien TV series
In addition to the FX series, a report published by Giant Freakin Robot in the summer of 2022 claimed that the original director of Alien, Ridley Scott, has decided to make his own Alien TV show too - this time for Hulu.
Near mint condition.