{"id":1181032,"date":"2025-12-23T08:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/?p=1181032"},"modified":"2025-12-23T06:00:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T14:00:18","slug":"alien-franchise-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/alien-franchise-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Alien Franchise Details a Normal Person Wouldn’t Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

In honor of FX’s Alien: Earth<\/em>, here are 12 details of the Alien franchise a normal person wouldn’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xenomorphs have been terrifying audiences for nearly half a century since the release of Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien<\/em>, starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, a member of the Nostromo crew who does battle with a horrific creature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nine films, including sequels, prequels and spinoffs, and now Hulu’s Alien: Earth,<\/em> the Alien franchise continues to elicit both fear and obsession. Alien<\/em> fans are nothing if not passionate, knowing the ins and outs of the decaying yet futuristic universe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for non-diehard fans of Alien,<\/em> here are 12 details that may not be on your radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Was Influenced By Rachel From Blade Runner<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

David (Michael Fassbender) is the android star of Ridley Scott’s two recent Alien prequels, Prometheus<\/em> and Alien: Covenant<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His performance was inspired by a character in one of Scott’s other films, 1982’s Blade Runner<\/em>: He told Slashfilm <\/em>in 2012 he took influence from the replicant Rachel, played by Sean Young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was something in her character, a quality there that I kind of liked for David,\u201d Fassbende said. \u201cThis longing for something or some sort of a soul at play there, a sort of vacancy also, a sort of vacant element.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Unexpected Tie Between <\/strong>Alien<\/em><\/strong> and <\/strong>Blade Runner<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alien<\/em> and Blade Runner<\/em> may be set in the same universe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a bonus feature<\/a> for Alien,<\/em> the USCSS Nostromo\u2019s dossier includes credentials for Dallas (Tom Skerritt), and they include the Tyrell Corporation \u2013 the company behind the replicants in Blade Runner.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scott always said the films certainly have visual ties. But that bonus feature took the extra step of deepening the connection whether canon or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artist Francis Bacon Helped Inspire the Xenomorph<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A partial image of Francis Bacon’s 1933 <\/em>Crucifixion. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dublin-born artist Francis Bacon <\/strong>was a master of body horror. Scott and the Xenomorph\u2019s designer, H.R. Giger, were influenced<\/a> by his beautiful yet terrifying paintings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many see a resemblance between the gangly and chilling figure in Bacon\u2019s 1933 painting Crucifixion<\/em> and the alien in Giger\u2019s iconic extraterrestrial design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe come to the conclusion that we must make the beast blind and give it a terrific set of teeth \u2013 something like the detail in Francis Bacon\u2019s Crucifixion<\/em> triptych,\u201d Giger is quoted as saying in his obituary in The Guardian<\/em>.<\/a> \u201cIt was Francis Bacon\u2019s work that gave me the inspiration of how this thing would come tearing out of the man\u2019s flesh with its gaping mouth, grasping and with an explosion of teeth… it\u2019s pure Bacon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eggs\u2019 Innards Were Built With Seafood and Meat<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Scariest<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the original film, the eggs that produce the facehuggers are a mix of cow organs, clams, and oysters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn those days prosthetics weren\u2019t that good,\u201d Scott once told <\/a>The Guardian<\/a><\/em>. \u201cI figured the best thing to do was to get stuff from a butcher\u2019s shop and a fishmonger. You can\u2019t make better stuff than that. It\u2019s organic.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the facehugger is lit up and moving around in the egg, that\u2019s actually Scott\u2019s gloved hand at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re showing the pleasant image of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, above, because the sight of the eggs wouldn’t make it past the algorithms for some of our syndication partners that try to weed out images like the kind of stuff you’d see at a butcher shop or fishmonger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composer Jerry Goldsmith Didn’t Enjoy Alien<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jerry Goldsmith\u2019s spine-tingling score is masterful at evoking in fear. Ridley Scott\u2019s sense of silence, combined with Goldsmith\u2019s romantic approach to horror, is an audible experience as unique as the boundary-pushing visuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goldsmith, though, once told the Los Angeles Reader<\/em> that Alien<\/em> was \u201cone of the most miserable experiences I\u2019ve ever had in this profession.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was not pleased with how his score was chopped up and rearranged for the final film. It was a constant struggle for Goldsmith, who was especially disheartened by his end credits theme getting canned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Cameron Did Not Always Gel<\/strong> With Some on the Aliens<\/em> Crew<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The behind-the-scenes<\/a> features for 1986’s sequel Aliens<\/em> are a candid treat for fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative disagreements and personality clashes are not sugarcoated or hidden in director Charles de Lauzirika\u2019s Superior Firepower: The Making of Aliens.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feature-length doc is a real fly-on-the-wall bonus feature that shows James Cameron and the English crew facing off at Pinewood Studios. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During work, tea time arrives. Posts are left. And Cameron is left furious, wondering where the Ridley Scott-faithful crew went. It\u2019s just one of many battles fought during the making of Aliens<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Took Over a Dozen Artists to Control the Mother Queen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Actor Lance Henriksen, left, and Stan Winston on the <\/em>Aliens set. 20th Century Fox.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fourteen-foot-tall Alien Queen<\/a> was a grand puppet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winston and his team used hydraulics for the big mama\u2019s movements, but it took a team of over a dozen artists to puppet the creature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Cameron\u2019s mad genius idea to put two men, <\/strong>Stuart St. Paul and Malcolm Weaver, in the suit operating the arms. Outside the suit, sixteen additional puppeteers kept the alien moving<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Remar Shot Scenes as Cpl. Hicks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

James Remar, known for The Warriors<\/em> and too many entertaining films to list, was originally cast<\/a> as Cpl. Hicks in Aliens. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only was he cast, but he shot a week\u2019s worth of footage for the sequel. The Boston actor looked the military part, wielding the character\u2019s pump-action shotgun with gusto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, due to personal issues at the time, Remar departed the film. Cameron tapped his Terminator<\/em> pal, Michael Biehn, to step in and play Ripley\u2019s brother-in-arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image above is of James Remar in Showtime’s Dexter<\/em> since, as we mentioned, he isn’t in Aliens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scrapped Dog-Burster<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
David Fincher, left, with Sigourney Weaver on the set of <\/em>Alien 3. 20th Century Fox.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the more nihilistic sequences in the franchise almost went another step further. In Alien 3,<\/em> a dog is infected by a chestburster and gives birth to a Xenomorph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an upsetting sequence that director David Fincher considered doubling down<\/a> on with what we can only call… Xenodogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point a whippet was covered with latex. It looked horrifying enough, but once the dog started running in costume, it was deemed too ridiculous for the dour Alien 3.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There Are At Least 3 Cuts of Alien 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans Made Their Own Cut of Alien 3<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alien 3 was a famously troubled production \u2014 director David Fincher, who feuded with the studio, Fox, told The Guardian<\/em> in 2009, \u201cto this day, no one hates it more than me<\/a>.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The version released in theaters in 1992 was a box office success, but received poor reviews. In 2003, a new version called the  Assembly Cut<\/a> was released without Fincher’s involvement, and an updated version of it was released on Blu-Ray in 2010. The Assembly Cut received better reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But fans also weighed in with a Legacy Cut<\/em>, which brings the theatrical and assembly cut together with a new polish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Newborn Was Different<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Jean Pierre-Jeunet and Winona Ryder on the set of <\/em>Alien: Resurrection. 20th Century Fox<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Newborn is the big swing in Alien: Resurrection, <\/em>which led by French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, best known for Amelie.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hybrid between Ripley\u2019s clone and a Xenomorph is hideous, but also polarizing<\/a> with fans. It could have been even more divisive: According to One Step Beyond: Making Alien Resurrection, <\/em>at one point the Newborn would have been portrayed with both male and female genitalia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fox, the studio, didn’t love the idea, and Jeunet ultimately decided that “even for a Frenchman, it’s too much.”  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Offspring in <\/strong>Alien: Romulus <\/em><\/strong>Isn\u2019t CG<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Director Fede \u00c1lvarez and Cailee Spaeny on the set of 20th Century Studios’ <\/em>Alien: Romulus. Photo by Murray Close. \u00a9 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Director Fede \u00c1lvarez packed Alien: Romulus<\/em> with Easter eggs and callbacks to the franchise, including the human-alien hybrid from Alien: Resurrection.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through \u00c1lvarez\u2019s eyes, the creature is both monstrous and uncanny \u2014 especially because it\u2019s not a CG effect terrorizing Rain (Cailee Spaeny) in the finale \u2013 it\u2019s 7\u20197\u201d basketball player Robert Bobroczkyi<\/a> <\/strong>playing \u201cthe Offspring.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under heavy prosthetics, with a CG tail and other additions, Bobroczkyi made a potentially ridiculous finale more tangible with his gigantic presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read all about the making of Alien: Romulus<\/em> in MovieMaker<\/em>‘s cover story on the film<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main image: <\/em>Alien Romulus. 20th Century Fox.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In honor of FX’s Alien: Earth, here are 12 details of the Alien franchise a normal person wouldn’t know. Xenomorphs","protected":false},"author":1927,"featured_media":1174843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_comments":false,"cm_data":"","cpt_newsletter_id":0,"tpd_coauthor":[],"tpd_feed_delay":{"delay_type":"default"},"is_tpd_lists_single_post":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","tpd_franchise_content":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":false,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","tpd_featured_video":[],"tpd_sponsored_post_logo":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_link":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_width":0,"tpd_sponsored_enable_nofollow":true,"tpd_disable_incontent_ads":false,"tpd_disable_right_rail_ads":false,"tpd_disable_after_content_ads":false,"tpd_disable_header_ads":false,"tpd_disable_sticky_footer_ads":false,"tpd_disable_video_ads":false,"tpd_disable_outbrain":false,"tpd_affiliate_disclaimer":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[40616,42060],"tags":[7364,41895,42128,5703],"coauthor":[],"feeds":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1181032","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gallery","8":"category-msn-gallery","9":"tag-alien","10":"tag-alien-romulus","11":"tag-alien-earth","12":"tag-aliens"},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ALN-TF-KayCorridor-428x224.jpg","fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ALN-TF-KayCorridor-428x224.jpg","fimg_url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ALN-TF-KayCorridor-788x412.jpg","author_name":"Jack Giroux","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/de252f2371b5e1ef78050b34cdda4243d8240ffa4eac1acbe0fe143ab1d9bcf6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/author\/jack-giroux\/","coauthors":[],"primary_category":{"term_id":40616,"name":"Gallery","slug":"gallery","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/category\/gallery\/"},"featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ALN-TF-KayCorridor-788x412.jpg","post_categories":["Gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1927"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1181032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1174843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1181032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1181032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1181032"},{"taxonomy":"coauthor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthor?post=1181032"},{"taxonomy":"feeds","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feeds?post=1181032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}