James Cameron: Alien franchise has “wandered all over the map”

James Cameron has his say on the Alien films and Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel…

Last week, news broke that director James Cameron was set to “godfather” a brand new Terminator film before the rights revert back to him in a few years – surprising for sure, but then he did “like” Terminator Genisys. Now he has been talking about another of his most famous works Aliens and his thoughts on both the series since his 1986 sequel and predecessor Ridley Scott’s new film Alien: Covenant and has some rather choice words for what has gone since.

Speaking to Vulture, Cameron thinks that the franchise has perhaps stalled since the first two films, saying:

“The franchise has kind of wandered all over the map. Ridley [Scott] did the first film, and he inspired an entire generation of filmmakers and science-fiction fans with that one movie and there have been so many films that stylistically have derived from it, including my own Aliens, which was the legitimate sequel and, I think, the proper heir to his film. I sort of did it as a fanboy. I wanted to honor his film, but also say what I needed to say. After that, I don’t take any responsibility.”

He continued that originality and ideas have perhaps become strained through the recent films, but did say that he is excited to see what Scott has done this time – and would happily watch anything the British director makes, saying:

“I don’t think it’s worked out terribly well. I think we’ve moved on beyond it. It’s like, okay, we’ve got it, we’ve got the whole Freudian biomechanoid meme. I’ve seen it in 100 horror films since. I think both of those films stand at a certain point in time, as a reference point. But is there any validity to doing another one now? I don’t know. Maybe. Let’s see, jury’s out. Let’s see what Ridley comes up with [in Alien: Covenant]. Let me just add to that — and don’t cut this part off, please — I will stand in line for any Ridley Scott movie, even a not-so-great one, because he is such an artist, he’s such a filmmaker. I always learn from him. And what he does with going back to his own franchise would be fascinating.”

The jury is still out on the latest Alien film after the relative disappointment of its predecessor, 2012’s Prometheus, but from the first trailer glimpsed over Christmas, the eerie atmosphere and horror may be back with a bang.

Alien: Covenant opens on May 19th.