James Cameron Reveals His Shocking Opinion On Alien 3
Unlike its predecessor, which is now considered to be among the greatest films of the 1980s, Alien 3 did not have the same level of success as James Cameron’s movie.
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Alien was the work of director Ridley Scott. The sequel, Aliens, was the work of James Cameron, who is now a legend in Hollywood but at the time was just getting his start. Alien 3 was handed off to director David Fincher, who is now known for his work on projects like The Social Network. Today, he’s a friend of James Cameron. However, what does Cameron think of Alien 3? Interestingly, James Cameron shared his thoughts on the third installment of the franchise during 2016’s International Comic-Con. He appeared at the event as part of the 30th-anniversary celebration of Aliens. The director thought the decision to eliminate Newt, Hicks, and Bishop was dumb because it felt like a huge slap in the face to the fans. (This is in reference to the story’s bold choice to write out three of the surviving heroes from Aliens.)
“David Fincher is a friend of mine, and he’s an amazing filmmaker, unquestionably. That was kind of his first big gig, and he was getting vectored around by the studio. He dropped into the production late, and they had a horrible script, and they were re-writing it on the fly,” James Cameron explained via Slash Film. He added that the entire project was just a mess, and thinks it was a big mistake. “Certainly, had we been involved we would not have done that because we felt we earned something with the audience for those characters.”
Alien was released in 1979 and quickly became a cult classic. Though successful, Fox did not consider a sequel until 1983, when James Cameron expressed an interest in continuing the story. When Aliens finally hit the big screen in 1986, it managed to shed the claustrophobic look and feel of the original, replacing it with exciting humans vs. aliens battles instead. At the same time, it carried over the social commentary about inequality and corporate greed from Ridley Scott’s movie. This made it a rare sequel that was able to expand the story while creating its own unique identity.
Unlike its predecessor, which is now considered to be among the greatest films of the 1980s, Alien 3 did not have the same level of success as James Cameron’s movie. The third installment was plagued with problems during production, including shooting without a script, and a revolving door of screenwriters and directors. Eventually, David Fincher was brought in to direct, but he has since disowned the finished product. However, while it underperformed at the American box office, it earned over $100 million in other territories.
When James Cameron made his comments in 2016, director Neill Blomkamp was developing an Alien movie that would undo the events of Alien 3 and 1997’s Alien Resurrection by reviving Newt and Hicks. But the idea was scrapped in favor of Scott’s Alien: Covenant, the 2017 sequel to the director’s own 2012 Alien quasi-prequel, Prometheus.
In December 2020, a new series set in the Alien universe was in development for FX on Hulu. Noah Hawley was said to be teaming up with original Alien director, Ridley Scott for the project. The announcement was made by FX chief John Landgraf during Disney’s Investor Day presentation. It will be the first television show to be based on the classic film franchise. Unfortunately, James Cameron is not involved in the new venture.
According to reports, the series will be the first Alien story set on Earth in the not too distant future, marking the first of the franchise to do so without featuring Ellen Ripley. It will blend the timeless horror of the original 1979 movie with the action of the 1986 film, which was directed by James Cameron. Additionally, the show promises to be a scary thrill ride that will blow people back in their seats. There is no release date for the series at this time, but filming will begin in March.
