Without Star Wars, we would probably have seen a completely different version of the sinister creature from another world. Image source: Disney/20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm
Have you ever wondered what kind of films Ridley Scott likes best? The director of films such as Alien, Gladiator, Hannibal or Thelma & Louise reveals this in an interview with LetterboxdHere is his (very sci-fi-heavy) top list:
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope
- Blade Runner (yes, his own work)
- In the beginning there was fire
In the interview, Ridley Scott shares an exciting anecdote. The filmmaker explains that he liked Star Wars so much when he saw it in the cinema that it left him depressed for three months. And that’s the only reason he decided to make one of the best sci-fi films, Alien.
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Ridley Scott only made Alien thanks to Star Wars
But a little more context: In 1977, Ridley Scott was still at the beginning of his film career. After several TV series, he continued with The Duellists his first major feature film. The historical drama was celebrated by critics and won several awards, but was a disappointment at the box office.
Scott’s next project was already decided: Tristan & Isolde – another historical drama based on Richard Wagner’s opera of the same name. Ridley Scott had already done a lot of preparatory work for the project when a colleague drew his attention to Star Wars.
How Wired reported, Scott personally reveals his Star Wars experience:
I remember someone came into my office and said, Ridley, you better watch this movie called Star Wars. […] So I am [ins Kino] and there were people queuing all the way around the block. It was extraordinary. I have never seen this kind of mass excitement before or since – you could really feel it! […]
I was stunned. Star Wars turned everything inside me upside down. So much so that I left the cinema and thought to myself: Why the hell am I doing Tristan and Isolde?!! Times are changing and I need to get a move on.
Six weeks later, I was offered Alien – I was the studio’s fifth choice.
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Alien: Romulus – official trailer for the new movie
Ridley Scott briefly and succinctly addresses this realization in an interview with Letterboxd. When the director talks about his favorite films, he says:
Another seminal film is Star Wars. I finished my first film: The Duellists – a very good film that won at Cannes. I was supposed to do Tristan and Isolde next. I mean, how artistic do you have to be?
Then I went to the opening of Star Wars, sat down, and was depressed for three months. How can I do Tristan and Isolde when this guy is putting something like this on the screen?!
I did a 180-degree turn and within six weeks I was offered Alien. It was an accident and I was like: I’ll do it
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If you are interested in the complicated history of Alienthen we recommend you this video from GigaTV Mag on the subject. In just under ten minutes, our colleagues have summarized for you what the film would have looked like without Ridley Scott and how Alien was ultimately able to write cinema history.
Incidentally, Alien: Romulus, the latest installment in the long-running sci-fi series, has been running in Europe cinemas since August 15, 2024. However, it was not directed by Ridley Scott, but by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) instead.
You can read more about this and what we think of Alien: Romulus in the links above.
