The Oscar-nominated English filmmaker Ridley Scott launched the Alien franchise with the 1979 sci-fi horror film. Starring Sigourney Weaver as the antagonist Ellen Ripley, the movie was a box-office hit and was soon followed by a sequel. However, Scott was no longer in the director’s seat, as the role went to the Titanic director James Cameron. The filmmaker has earlier shared that he was never asked to return for a sequel.
During a recent interview with Deadline, Scott expressed that he felt like “damaged goods” after being replaced by Cameron amid facing the challenges following the 1982 film Blade Runner’s reception.
Ridley Scott Was Pissed After James Cameron Replaced Him as Aliens Director
In a recent conversation with Deadline, filmmaker Ridley Scott recalled receiving a call from James Cameron informing that he would be directing the Alien sequel. He shared that although they often talk, the two are not specifically friends. “Jim and I talk often. We’re not exactly friends, but we do talk, and he’s a great guy,” he said.
Talking about how he felt about being replaced, he said that he was “pissed” and “hurt.” He stated that he knew that The Terminator director would do something very special, but he still felt like “damaged goods” as he was trying to recover from Blade Runner’s failure.
“I was hurt, deeply hurt, actually because at that moment, I think I was damaged goods because I was trying to recover from Blade Runner.”
Starring Harrison Ford in the lead, Scott had high expectations for Blade Runner. However, it underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. In contrast, Cameron’s Aliens was a commercial and critical hit, earning multiple acclaims, including Sigourney Weaver’s first Oscar nomination.
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Ridley Scott on Rebuilding Confidence After Alien Sequel Snub
In an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ridley Scott shared that he was never asked to do the sequel, as he was a “tough guy” while filming the first movie. He also said that he wasn’t inclined to do sequels at the time and probably “would never have done it” either.
Talking about being passed over for the sequel, he acknowledged that such situations could be confidence-shattering. When asked how he got his confidence back, the filmmaker said that he relied heavily on physical activities.
“Did a lot of pushups, play tennis, thrash the sh*t out of a tennis ball, and look at the next movie,” he said. Scott also shared that he was already preparing for his next movie, Legend, starring Tom Cruise, Tim Curry, and Mia Sara. While the movie was a commercial or a critical success, it was nominated for several awards, including an Oscar for Best Makeup. Legend has since become a cult classic.
Ridley Scott’s Alien is available on Hulu.
James Cameron’s Aliens is available on Max.
