Rumors are swirling that an Alien television series set in the movie universe may be in development. There is no word yet as to what network the series would land on or what the television show would even be about, but sources have reportedly come forward to suggest plans for a series are being put into action.
The 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi classic, Alien, is coming up shortly in 2019. The franchise first began in 1979 with Scott’s film and has continued in the form of various media over the years including prequel films, sequels, comic books, and video games. The latest film addition to the franchise, 2017’s Alien: Covenant, performed rather poorly at the box office and let certain fans of Scott’s chilling Xenomorph down, convincing some that the series had gone stale, straying too far from the ambitious original film.
Now, reports are coming in that the franchise may attempt to redeem itself through the form of a television series. Omega Underground first reported the rumors of an Alien TV spinoff set within the movie universe, writing that sources came forward to claim a television project might be confirmed and officially announced soon. Reportedly, rumors of the series first appeared back in April. However, it should be stressed that because there are no concrete details concerning plot, network, or producers, these rumors should be taken cautiously and with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, the prospect of an Alien television series is an exciting one. Fans were forced to give up hope for any Neill Blomkamp Alien sequel earlier this year when the filmmaker confirmed on Twitter that he has “moved on” from the project. Viewers were let down once again when Fox cancelled its plans for a sequel to Alien: Covenant at the end of 2017. Ridley Scott apparently still has ideas for a Covenant sequel despite Fox’s decision, so the television series could possibly be a place to explore Scott’s plans. But the filmmaker has said he is more interested in exploring A.I. characters such as David than returning to the Xenomorph creature. So, if the TV series does come to fruition and is based on Scott’s ideas, it may disappoint those that are hoping for more Xenomorph action.
A television series would afford the Alien franchise a unique opportunity that it has not quite had before. It would certainly give the series more breathing room for the narrative, and the storyline wouldn’t appear rushed or oddly paced as in some films of the franchise, such as Alien 3 or Prometheus. A television series could also allow multiple directors to get their hands on the franchise and explore how different filmmaking voices take on the unique sci-fi concept. Depending on what network it lands on, a significant amount of money could be put into the series, and each episode could be meticulously crafted. Just imagine an Alien television series that is given the time, attention to detail, and budget that HBO has put into Game of Thrones over the years. This television series could be a redemption project to help give a much-needed fresh boost to the Alien franchise.
More: Fox Needs To Finish The Alien Prequel Trilogy
Screen Rant will keep you updated on any more developments on a possible Alien television series.
Source: Omega Underground
