A Response to the Recent ALIEN Rumors (And You Probably Won’t Like It)
Josh Millican
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We’ve been hearing murmurs of a planned TV series based on the Alien horror franchise for months and, yesterday, a movie website got an exclusive. They claimed there wasn’t just one, but two Alien projects in the works: One with Ridley Scott at the helm that would stream on Hulu. We didn’t report on the news because it sounded exactly like unsubstantiated rumors we’d already heard.
Weeks back, a podcaster contacted us with the exact same “scoop”, but in his version, it was Netflix, not Hulu who would be streaming the series. With 20th Century Fox’s impending acquisition by Disney, it seemed iffy. Also, we got a tip off from a trusted associate, UK film critic and academic Mr. H, warning us to steer clear of this Hulu/Alien chatter.
If you’re a regular reader of Dread Central, you know that we often feature Mr. H’s deep dives into classic and upcoming horror properties. But he’s also a great source for news and is responsible for several exclusives, all of which turned out to be 100% confirmed upon scrutiny. We trust him, and we think you should too.
So, when he released a new video as a direct response to the recent Alien rumors, we took it seriously. I wish I could say the news was good, but chances are, Alien fans won’t get anything close to what we’ve been expecting. Mr. H, however, is ultimately hopeful.
Give the video a spin at the top of the article for the straight dope. If you can’t stream, or simply want to cut to the chase, I’ve listed some key points below.
- There was, at one time, a live-action TV series based on Alien in the works at 20th Century Fox.
- Currently, however, there are no plans for a live action Alien series whatsoever.
- The merger with Disney is the reason the project was shelved (as many had theorized would happen).
- The planned live-action Alien series has morphed into something else and, whatever it is, we’ll be seeing it soon.
- The current project ties in with the recent Amanda Ripley campaign promoted on several official Alien social media sites.
- Ridley Scott is not producing an Alien TV series at Hulu.
- Until the Disney/20th Century Fox acquisition is complete, all Alien projects besides the current one are on hold, a status termed “Perpetual Development”.
A key turn of phrase we keep hearing is that the Alien project coming down the pike is “not live-action” and this, I believe is crucial. I mean, if it’s not live-action, that means it must be animated, right?
What do you think of all these Alien rumors? What do you think of Mr. H’s assessment of the situation? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
