James Cameron Discusses Potential Return to Alien Franchise

The Alien franchise is currently experiencing a resurgence. Notably, filmmaker Fede Alvarez’s latest installment, Alien: Romulus, has been captivating fans with a fresh perspective on the classic sci-fi narrative. Additionally, there’s more excitement on the horizon with Noah Hawley’s television series, Alien: Earth, slated for release in 2025. While the franchise’s future appears promising, it’s unlikely that James Cameron, who wrote and directed the acclaimed 1986 film Aliens, will return to the series.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Cameron shared his thoughts on the matter, highlighting his current commitments and age as key reasons for not revisiting the franchise. “It’s kind of trampled ground at this point,” Cameron noted. “I wouldn’t rule anything out but I’ve got 23 other projects in the queue before that hypothetical one so I’m going to guess, with me turning 70, that ain’t gonna happen. You’ve got to pick your battles at some point. You know what I mean?”

Although Cameron doesn’t plan to re-enter the Alien universe, he expressed positive sentiments about Alien: Romulus. He emphasized that while he saw the film’s opening and provided some feedback, his involvement was minimal. “I wasn’t really helping out,” he explained. “I know Fede, the director, and very early on he and his writing partner came to me and said, ‘Got any ideas?’ — no, they had plenty of ideas but they just wanted to kind of, I don’t know, pilgrimage to Mecca or something like that. But that was years ago, then they went off and wrote their thing and I had nothing to do with it.”

Continuing, Cameron revealed that he reviewed an initial cut of the film and offered feedback. “Then six months ago or so he shared an early cut of the film with me and I gave him some notes for like an hour. I don’t want to take any credit whatsoever. If the film is great, I don’t want to take any credit; if it sucks, not my fault! Seriously, it’s his thing, so credit due where it’s due and, from what I’m hearing, it’s pretty good.”

Alien: Romulus is positioned as more of a spinoff rather than a direct continuation of the Alien franchise. The story revolves around a group of young space colonizers who encounter the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film features an ensemble cast including Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), and Aileen Wu. Directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe), the screenplay was co-written with his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe 2), based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

Source: The Guardian, Fede Alvarez