As the FX series Alien: Earth prepares for its August 12 premiere, discussions among fans persist regarding the varied qualities of the Alien film franchise. Despite the distinct horror styles of Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Resurrection, and the prequels, showrunner Noah Hawley asserts that each installment possesses its unique strengths.
During a pre-premiere roundtable, Hawley expressed his view: “I believe every Alien film contains elements of greatness.” He specifically highlighted contributions from David Fincher, noting his “many great moments and ideas,” and praised the initial half of Jean-Pierre Jeunet`s Alien Resurrection, calling it “very odd” but appreciating the clone Sigourney storyline. Hawley concluded that “everyone introduced very interesting ideas” to the saga.
However, Hawley clarified that Alien: Earth primarily draws inspiration from the first two films, with a particular focus on the 1979 original.
He explained his creative choice: “To simplify my approach, I concentrated solely on the initial two movies.” Hawley noted the stark technological contrast between Prometheus, set centuries before the original Alien, and the “retro-futurism” aesthetic of the earlier films. He stated his aesthetic preference for the latter, emphasizing, “If I`m adapting Ridley [Scott]`s movie, which is what I conveyed to him, then that`s the visual style it needs to embody.”
Hawley also articulated his ambition to restore the enigmatic quality of the Xenomorph.
He elaborated on the creature`s evolving mystery: “Each time you believed you understood the creature`s lifecycle, it only became more terrifying, didn`t it?” He recalled the sequence: “First, an egg hatches a facehugger, and you think you`re safe. But no, it`s not over. The facehugger implants another egg, which then chest-burts, seemingly `game over.` Then it grows to ten feet tall. James Cameron then introduced the queen, asking, `Well, who`s laying those eggs?`” Recognizing that audiences can no longer be surprised by these established twists, Hawley stated, “I`ve aimed to devise methods for the show to rekindle that sense of unpredictable anticipation.”
While discussions about the best—and worst—Alien films will undoubtedly continue for years, it`s insightful to hear the current showrunner`s perspective on the franchise`s enduring legacy and how he envisions his own contribution to its rich lore.