Upcoming Alien Series Is About Rival Tech Companies
The film blended horror and sci-fi all the while telling a timeless tale about the cold calculation of corporations and exactly what capitalism does to the everyman. In Noah Hawley’s new Alien series...
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Horror was never the same after the 1979 premiere of sci-fi classic, Alien. The film blended horror and sci-fi all the while telling a timeless tale about the cold calculation of corporations and exactly what capitalism does to the everyman. In Noah Hawley’s new Alien series, these themes seem to be prevalent. The specifics of the new show have only been recently unpacked. It will be some time before a new Alien story will hit screens to the public. But Hawley has a vision for what the new iteration of Alien will entail. The new series is unlike previous films and something that audiences have yet to see from the property.
In an interview for Esquire, Hawley explained what is so different about the series for FX. For one, it takes place on Earth. This contrasts to the films that always occurred with a crew and a spaceship, deep in space where no one can hear you scream. “It’s set on Earth of the future,” Hawley said when prompted about the Alien series. “At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla. Someone’s going to monopolize electricity. We just don’t know which one it is.” What Hawley means when referring to Edison and Tesla is history’s propensity to fight over technology (via History.com). Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla famously fought in a war over electricity depicted in the heightened reality of The Prestige. The only difference is that in this case, the technology is a bloodthirsty alien species that cannot be controlled.
The company that yearns to control the alien race known as the Xenomorphs is Weyland-Yutani (via Game Rant). They have been the main antagonist – not counting the Xenomorphs – in the Alien franchise. Often referred to just as The Company, Weyland-Yutani stops at nothing to harness the power of the Xenomorphs. Even by sacrificing the crew they have hired to obtain the Chestburster. Hawley states that his Alien series will not just feature Weyland-Yutani but other tech companies vying to be the leaders in technology. In this futuristic society, technologies like AI and cybernetic enhancements are a hot commodity.
This is in line with the original Alien films. Each film has had a different android that has either assisted or deterred the mission. And while these are familiar touchstones for any Alien fan, the Alien series is sure to step out of any comfort zone. One thing is for certain: Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley will not be making an appearance. By Hawley’s own admission, his show will be expanding the world of Alien, not rehashing familiar territory (via Deadline).
The Alien series will be something new. Weaver has portrayed the iconic character since the first Alien film and in many circles, is a feminist icon (via Indie Wire). This fact cannot be overstated. Horror films and especially sci-fi horror films had not shown women in that perspective before. Ripley’s refusal to conform to gender stereotypes was a change in pace. In the film, she is the only voice of reason on the ship. She is the one that doubts the crew’s safety. Maybe harboring a parasitic alien is a bad idea. She is proven to be so correct that only she had the ship’s cat Jonesy survive. In some ways, maybe Ridley Scott is right. There is no beating the original.
But even though Weaver’s character is iconic, it is time for the Alien series to progress. Ripley will always be a focal point of the Alien franchise. Hawley’s series is representative of the times that it is being created in. Rival tech companies are quite familiar to modern audiences. And there is no doubt that trifling with biological weapons never works out for anyone. The heart of Alien will still be present in Hawley’s series. No good ever comes out of tampering with Xenomorphs.
