“Epic” ALIEN NATION Remake May Not Happen Once Disney Owns Fox
Josh Millican
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1988’s Alien Nation, directed by Graham Baker from a script penned by Rockne S. O’Bannon, was an unlikely mashup of sci-fi and neo-noir/procedural thriller tropes. Though it was only a minor hit in its day, it spawned a short-lived TV series and has amassed a legion of cult followers in the decades since its release.
We’ve been hearing murmurs of an Alien Nation remake brewing over at 20th Century Fox for (literally) years. Writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) recently sat down with our friends at /Films where he talked about what he’s been working on for the better part of two years:
“It’s epic. I mean, it’s the biggest canvas I’ve ever painted on, but it 100 percent feels like a Jeff Nichols film, which I’m sure there are gonna be some Alien Nation fans out there that are like, What the f*ck? But my hope is if they… If people come to it just ready for a new story, that they’ll like it. And I put my heart and soul into it. I put so much of myself into it. It takes place in Arkansas. There’s so much of me in it.”
While these details are definitely titillating, there’s a chance all his efforts could be for naught. It’s uncertain if the production will remain active once Fox is sold to Disney (a deal that’s currently pending). Nichols explains:
“So, I’ve been working on Alien Nation like for two years, the screenplay. And I’m still … I’m almost done with it. I’m hoping this draft that I’m working on now will be my last. The studio seems to really love it, and we’re working on conception design of the aliens and everything else, and it happens to be a studio that’s being bought by Disney right now. I’m working with Fox on it, so it feels a little bit like you’re one of those monks doing those giant murals in sand. It might just blow away, which would be a real shame, but everybody at Fox has been so good to me about it. And they’re so positive about it, obviously I’m trying to stay in the positive zone, and hopefully knock out this last draft.”
Alien Nation isn’t the only property facing an uncertain future once Disney own Fox; fans of the Alien and Predator franchises are holding our collective breaths wondering what will happen when these R-rated series move to the House of Mouse. Time will tell.
We’ll definitely be keeping our ears to the ground (and our fingers crossed) in order to bring you all Alien Nation reboot news as details emerge. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the synopsis and trailer for 1988’s Alien Nation, starring James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, and Terence Stamp below.
Synopsis:
In Los Angeles circa 1991, humans live alongside extraterrestrial humanoid beings whose spaceship crash landed three years earlier. This coexistence is not always harmonious, as exemplified by segregated slums and the uneasy partnership of police detective Matthew Sykes (James Caan) with new humanoid partner Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin). However, the pair begin to overcome their differences as they investigate a slum drug ring led by the slippery William Harcourt (Terence Stamp).
Are you a fan of 1988’s Alien Nation? Are you hopeful that a remake will survive the Disney/Fox deal? Sound off in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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