Sequels aren’t an easy game in the world of cinema. What if the next installment takes away all the glory of the first one? However, setting a prime example of how to craft a stellar sequel, James Cameron helmed Aliens took the Ridley Scott franchise in a whole new direction. Released in 1986, Aliens is one of the rare examples where the sequel not only built on its predecessor thematically while maintaining its own unique identity. But then what went wrong with the third one?
Released in 1992, David Fincher’s Alien 3 was not exactly a favorite among the critics. Plagued with difficulties during the earlier phase of production, Fincher ultimately distanced himself from the final product.
READ MORE: James Cameron Confirms a Long-Running Hollywood Urban Legend About His Pitch for the Movie ‘Aliens’
But could James Cameron have saved the sequel?
During the 30th-anniversary celebration of Aliens at the 2016 International Comic-con, James Cameron opened up on his views on the third installment of the franchise. Aliens 3, though considered weaker than its predecessors did incorporate some bold choices. This included the decision to kill three out of the four surviving heroes from Aliens, leaving Ellen Ripley as the sole survivor.
James Cameron, though, held a different perspective on this matter. Hence, voicing his disagreement with the decision to eliminate Newt, Hicks, and Bishop, Cameron called it a “huge slap in the face to the fans.” While talking about the $159 million grossing installment, Cameron said,
“I thought [the decision to eliminate Newt, Hicks, and Bishop] was dumb. I thought it was a huge slap in the face to the fans. [‘Alien 3’ director]”
However, at the same time, he also acknowledged Fincher’s plight and the challenges he faced on the sets.
James Cameron pointed out a big mistake that botched the project
While talking about the issues faced by The Killer director David Fincher while working in the studio, Cameron revealed that he would have definitely approached the project in quite a different way.
“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, and he dropped into the production late, and they had a horrible script, and they were re-writing it on the fly. It was just a mess. I think 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.”
Interestingly, District 9 director Neill Blomkamp was also pursuing an Alien project during the time. Aiming to resurrect Newt and Hicks, Cameron was excited about Blompkamp’s vision and script. However, the project fell on the wayside due to Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, the 2017 sequel to his own 2012 prequel, Prometheus.
Source: The Playlist
