The director of the original 1979 masterpiece that inspired the new series Alien: Earth had a hilarious reaction during his visit to the set
Alien filmmaker Ridley Scott had a simple five-word reaction to seeing the set of the new FX series inspired by his 1979 masterpiece.
Created by Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley, the eight-part series serves as a prequel to the original film set in a dark vision of the future dominated by corporations.
Two years before the iconic escape from the USCSS Nostromo, another research vessel containing deadly alien lifeforms crash lands on Earth with devastating consequences.
While the precious cargo poses a threat to all humanity, a trillion-dollar company that has just perfected the next step in human evolution believes it could hold the key to even more knowledge.
Paying tribute to the acclaimed sci-fi horror that launched the franchise, Hawley and executive producer David W. Zucker adhered closely to the original set design for the Nostromo when crafting the show’s new interstellar death trap, the Maginot.
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Previewing the series at Alien: Earth’s London premiere, cast member Babou Ceesay recalled: “It was incredible.
“You walk into this huge studio and there’s the set of the Maginot but it just felt like a spaceship. And it also feels like the Nostromo.
“Even Noah, all of us, 100 people, became children immediately. Clicking buttons, trying to take pictures, looking at things we’d never seen before.”
Making his experience even more thrilling, Ceesay’s very first day filming was for a scene in which his character Morrow speaks to Mother, the iconic ship computer represented by a room of glowing lights.
Furthermore, despite launching the franchise himself in the 1970s and returning to the Alien universe multiple times over the year, Scott was just as awestruck by the prequel series’ level of craft.
Zucker relayed his thoughts: “Ridley’s reaction was no different than theirs when he first saw it.
“Because it was based on his set. What Noah and his team of production designers were able to recreate, for the purposes of landing an audience in the original analogue aesthetic of his was extraordinary.
“I won’t say what his actual words were…” he teased, knowing the audience can fill in the blanks.
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However, he eventually relented, confirming: “We did get the actual plans [of his set] from the Disney vault. Alright, he said ‘F*** me, that’s my set!’”
A stirring endorsement from the blockbuster director suggests die-hard Alien fans should be more than satisfied with FX’s thrilling reimagining.
He has also previously praised Hawley’s direction in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter: “I’ve created the pace visually for a while. I know exactly what I’ve done and how it has been influential, because I keep seeing it — ‘Oh, there’s me … there’s me…’
“It was annoying initially, but now it’s amusing and healthy. Like [Hawley] has gone down that route and definitely respected the original Alien. And from that, I can’t hope for anything more other than to keep it alive.
“I don’t care what the platform is. I’m keen to go home and watch it. All these subjects are embalmed forever and that’s very healthy.”
Alien: Earth premieres Wednesday, 13th August on Disney+.
For a limited time only, witness the first stage of the life cycle of the Xenomorph up close with a thrilling new display at London’s Natural History Museum.
Visitors can touch real pieces of the solar system at the Museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, and discover more about one of pop culture’s most iconic and frightening creatures just by the entrance until Friday, 22nd August.
