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Listen, the 1990s were a rough time for Alien. And while Alien 3 is not nearly as bad as people remember it being - if you look past the undercooked visual effects, it's got a pretty interesting story about how masculinity is a prison! - Alien: Resurrection is the film that really deserves all the ire that 3 gets. That's the one written by Joss Whedon where the crux of the film revolves around a statement of "Isn't it disgusting how someone with a uterus can get pregnant and give birth?" It was where the Alien franchise's thoughtful meditations on danger and fear within a psycho-sexual context went to die. Perhaps most importantly, it was the movie where Ridley Scott lost his confidence that Alien could ever meaningfully resurface in pop culture. 

Reflecting on his past and present with the Alien franchise in an interview with Screen Rant, Ridley Scott said, "I think I felt it was deadened after [Alien: Resurrection]. I think mine was pretty damn good, and I think [James Cameron's] was good, and I have to say the rest were not very good. And I thought, ‘Fuck, that’s the end of a franchise which should be as important as bloody Star Trek or Star Wars,' which I think is phenomenal." Alien: Resurrection grossed $161.4 million on a $70 million budget, a step down from the $180 million gross Variety reported for Alien 3 (whose budget was $60 million). Thankfully, Scott came roaring back with Prometheus in 2012, which grossed $403.4 million on a $130 million budget. 

Scott isn't looking to stop the Alien train any time soon. He produced last year's Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez, and he's an executive producer on the upcoming Alien: Earth series from FX. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Scott was "developing a new Alien movie for 20th [Century Studios] in the wake of Romulus' success." Whether that means climbing back into the director's chair, or working again as a producer remains to be seen. 

Regardless, I have just have one request for the Alien franchise's future: more David, please. 

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