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Listen: Alien Romulus
Ridley Scott praises the upcoming Alien movie and declares it “f—ing great.”
• Director Fede Álvarez showed Alien: Romulus to Ridley Scott, who praised the film as “f—ing great.”
• Álvarez was apprehensive about Scott’s reaction due to his reputation as a tough critic.
• Scott previously had mixed reactions to other Alien movies, praising Aliens but calling Alien vs. Predator a “daft idea.”
• Alien: Romulus is set to hit theaters on August 16, 2024; Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, will follow on November 22, 2023.
• Álvarez shared that one of Scott’s best compliments was that he believed Álvarez was the movie’s writer.
Director Fede Álvarez showed Ridley Scott a preview of the highly anticipated Alien: Romulus, and Scott, the mastermind behind the original 1979 film, was surprisingly impressed.
During the DGA Latino Summit, Álvarez shared an update on Scott’s reaction to the sci-fi horror flick, which won’t hit theaters until next year. Scott couldn’t contain his enthusiasm after watching the film on his own.
Álvarez recounted, “He walked into the room and said, ‘Fede, what can I say? It’s F-ing great.'” Álvarez emphasized the importance of receiving feedback directly from Scott, who served as producer for the untitled sequel, even if it meant facing potential criticism.
“Even if he had said, ‘You destroyed my legacy,’ I wanted to be there, face to face,” Álvarez explained. “I didn’t want to receive an email saying ‘Ridley says…'”
Álvarez admitted to being apprehensive about Scott’s response due to his reputation for being a tough, honest critic, especially regarding sequels of his films.
Álvarez shared, “Everyone warned me that Ridley is really tough. He’s particularly tough when it comes to his movies. He was tough on Blade Runner [2049], which I thought was a masterpiece, and he had issues with it because it’s his work. I asked him about the new Top Gun: [Maverick], and he reacted lukewarmly. I asked, ‘What are you talking about?’ he said, ‘It’s not as good as the original.’ He respected it, but you could see how tough he was. So I thought, ‘There’s no way I can win with this.'”
Scott has had mixed reactions to previous Alien movies. While he praised James Cameron’s Aliens, calling it an “excellent action picture” and a remarkable achievement, he couldn’t find kindness for Alien vs. Predator, calling it a “daft idea” that somehow diminished the franchise.
Alien: Romulus, featuring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced, is scheduled to release on August 16, 2024. Meanwhile, Scott’s newest film, Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, will hit theaters on November 22, 2023.
“For me, it was one of the best moments of my life. To have a master like [Ridley Scott], whom I admired so much, watch a movie I made and discuss it with me for an hour… specifically this movie… It’s truly an honor. One of his best compliments was, ‘The dialogue is great. Are you the writer?’ And I said, ‘Yes!'”