Every Canceled Alien Movie We Never Got To See

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The entire "Alien" franchise timeline stretches across hundreds of years, keeping fans figuring out the ins and outs of the lore and who's to blame for the scary Xenomorph pandemic (spoiler alert: it's almost always the greedy little piggies at Weyland-Yutani Corporation). Yet, it could have been even more complicated had a series of canceled "Alien" movies come to fruition in the past. Whether these films would have been better, or charted new narrative waters for the so-called perfect organism, is speculative, but they bump up the curiosity levels at the very least.

After all, who wouldn't want to see what South African-born filmmaker Neill Blomkamp could cook up in this universe? In the case of writer William Gibson, who's considered the godfather of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, it's actually possible to experience his specific version of "Alien 3" in other mediums. Plus, is there any doubt that James Cameron and Ridley Scott would have been the right people to course correct the franchise after the divisive "Alien Resurrection"? C'mon, admit it — all of these possibilities get you excited for an alternate timeline where they exist.

Look, we can't go back in time and greenlight these movies again — it's too late for that. Having said that, we can appreciate the details available to us, spit the facts (not acid), and consider the what-ifs of where the franchise could have ventured. So, let's dive right in and explore the canceled "Alien" movies we never got to see.

Sigourney Weaver acknowledged what went wrong with David Fincher's "Alien 3" was that the director fought the producers who were adamant about their vision. Before production commenced, there were already issues, because producers imagined a certain story and hired sci-fi author William Gibson to pen it. After his work disappointed the producers, Gibson declined to rewrite the script, so he departed the film. For those who don't know, the original plan was to elevate Corporal Hicks as a main character, while keeping Ellen Ripley in stasis, as the Union of Progressive Peoples intercepts the Sulaco instead of the spaceship crash-landing on Fiorina "Fury" 161.

"I did write that, albeit to a 'story' by Hill, Giler, and the other guy, whose name momentarily escapes me," Gibson wrote on his website. "They suggested the Marxist space empire, and I happily elaborated on that. In spite of its almost instant archaism, I found it fun." The author revealed that Weaver didn't want to participate in "Alien 3," so this was the reason Ripley was put in stasis.

Thanks to the buccaneers of the internet, Gibson's story leaked online and developed its own cult following — with many believing his version to be superior to the final product. Ultimately, Gibson's first draft was turned into a novel and audiobook, in which Michael Bien reprised his role as Hicks. In addition, Gibson's "Alien 3" received a comic book adaptation. Unquestionably, his story feels more in line with the action-horror approach of "Aliens" than the smorgasbord of ideas in "Alien 3."

In the mid-'90s, British screenwriter — and certified "Alien" fan — Stuart Hazeldine proposed a story titled "Alien: Earthbound." He sent it to his agent who forwarded it along to 20th Century Fox. What Hazeldine didn't know was that Fox had contracted Joss Whedon to write the "Alien Resurrection" screenplay, so the studio passed on reading Hazeldine's proposal for legal reasons. According to Corona Productions, Hazeldine offered to sign waivers and legal paperwork, believing his story had the potential to be better than what Whedon was working on.

So, what exactly was "Alien: Earthbound" about? Hazeldine said it takes place after the events of "Alien 3" and that Ripley returns via DNA cloning. The screenwriter added that previous characters like the Colonial Marines would return, and there would be new additions, such as Bishop's twin and a female lead with close ties to Ripley. According to Hazeldine, the story would be "a desperate military attempt to stop the aliens reaching Earth which, as we all know, would be 'the end of all life as we know it!' It's a race against the clock movie at heart with loads of action and a female-based emotional core that I think picks up and develops further what was left off between Ripley and Newt in 'Aliens.'"

"Alien: Earthbound" would have been a back-to-basics approach for the franchise at the time, as the stories accelerated further into sci-fi spectacle. A simple but claustrophobic premise might have been exactly what was needed then.

Joss Whedon's original endings for "Alien Resurrection" would have seen both Ripley and the Xenomorph arrive on Earth. Long story short: money prevented these possibilities from happening, hence the theatrical cut being what it is. Whedon, though, would be invited back to write the follow-up, which would finally take place on Earth.

Someone who wasn't on board with this idea was Sigourney Weaver. In 2009, she told MTV that Whedon's script brought the alien menace to Earth, but she wasn't feeling the warm and fuzzies about the concept, nor the story being told. "I was all for going back to the original planet; I thought that would be interesting," Weaver said. "But I was alone in that; we couldn't really agree on what would be interesting." The actor added that interest in the fifth "Alien" movie died down after 20th Century Fox wanted to focus on the "Alien vs. Predator" crossover, rather than a direct sequel to "Alien Resurrection."

Decades later, the Xenomorphs made the trip to our home planet in the "Alien: Earth" television series. Yet, it doesn't seem to be inspired much by Whedon's screenplay, since the show takes place before the events of 1979's "Alien," while Whedon's story would be set after "Alien Resurrection." Is it a good idea, though? The jury's still out on this one, since there's a subsection of fans who think the Xenomorph capers should always take place in space, where no one can hear you scream.

It's safe to say that no two people have had a bigger influence on the "Alien" franchise than filmmakers Ridley Scott and James Cameron. Scott transformed the horror genre with 1979's "Alien," while Cameron expanded where it could go with 1986's action-packed "Aliens" (which is still the best "Alien" movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes). Yet, neither Scott nor Cameron returned for the next two sequels.

In 2006, though, Cameron told Ain't It Cool News that there had been conversations between him, Scott, and 20th Century Fox about collaborating on what would have become "Alien 5." However, Cameron was left unimpressed by another franchise-adjacent project that Fox was producing. "I started working on a story," Cameron revealed. "I was working with another writer and Fox came back to me and said, 'We've got this really good script for "Alien vs. Predator,"' and I got pretty upset. I said, 'You do that you're going to kill the validity of the franchise in my mind.'"

Cameron compared what Fox was doing to what Universal had done with "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" in 1943, believing this deliberate cash-in would do more harm than good to the characters. Ironically, though, Cameron admitted that he actually ended up liking "Alien vs. Predator," calling it the third-best movie in the "Alien" franchise at that point. That said, if that movie hadn't happened, it's likely that Scott and Cameron would have delivered their own version of "Alien 5."

When asked in the mid-2000s, Sigourney Weaver admitted that she didn't like the plans to take the Xenomorphs to Earth, nor the idea of "Alien vs. Predator." However, she refused to shut the door on the franchise, admitting the right script could result in the return of Ellen Ripley to the "Alien" franchise.

In 2008, after the "Alien vs. Predator" experiment had run its course, Weaver revealed that she and Ridley Scott were discussing a new project. This time, though, there was no guarantee that a Xenomorph would feature. Speaking to MTV, Weaver questioned if the Xenomorph had become overexposed and wondered what other stories could be told with or without the alien species. However, she added that her and Scott discussed what they could do with Ripley. "What we're interested in is taking the character of Ripley and seeing what other science fiction story we can tell about someone who has lived several lives," Weaver said.

A Ripley spin-off intrigues, especially since there's the potential to tell stories before and after the events of "Alien." With the right creative vision and passion, it could have explored a new narrative journey for the character. However, it's easy to see how this would have been a hard sell for 20th Century Fox. Imagine telling the studio execs you want to make an "Alien" movie without the alien. Their brains might have exploded from even thinking about it for a second.

Paul W. S. Anderson's "Alien vs. Predator" didn't endear itself to the critics or audiences in 2004, but the film lit the box office on fire, gobbling up $177.4 million worldwide from a $60 million budget. Expectedly, a sequel entered the fast lane of production at 20th Century Fox, with "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" arriving in 2007. Anderson didn't return for the mayhem, so Colin and Greg Strause handled directing duties. Well, if people thought the predecessor was a bad movie, "Requiem" might make people wish a Facehugger would attack your face to prevent you from watching this disasterpiece. Even so, it made money — $130.3 million from a $40 million budget.

Now, let's be real here: Hollywood studios don't give a hoot if audiences or critics love a movie. If it makes money, a sequel gets greenlit, so you will be forced to suffer through more. In the case of "Alien vs. Predator," this was no different, as Fox imagined its own "Return of the King" conclusion to complete the trilogy. Before the release of "Requiem," the Strause brothers spoke about their plan to take the battle back into space for the third movie, but it was dependent on the sequel's box office performance.

In 2008, though, news broke that a sequel to "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" was definitely on the cards. Of course, it didn't happen. Maybe someone realized these alien battles were better served in video games and comics than on the big screen.

In 2015, filmmaker Neill Blomkamp posted concept artwork on his social media account that had the internet (chest)bursting at the seams. Anyone with a set of eyes could see these images were related to "Alien," so what exactly was the "District 9" director up to?

Blomkamp eventually answered the question, telling ComingSoon that he commissioned the artwork as a way to get 20th Century Fox's attention about his "Alien 5" idea. "Fox didn't know that I was developing it, so in that sense, it was completely unsanctioned and just basically for fun," he said. "To me, it wasn't for fun. To me, that was what I wanted to do next, and I spent a lot of time doing it, and there was a lot of effort that went into [it]." In addition, Blomkamp revealed he'd spoken to Sigourney Weaver about his plans, while they had worked on "Chappie" together.

A while later, Blomkamp appeared to confirm his pitch had been greenlit on his Instagram account. The excitement didn't last for more than a few months, though, as Neill Blomkamp said his "Alien" sequel was on hold indefinitely, while the studio focused on "Alien: Covenant." Prior to the opening of "Covenant," Ridley Scott confirmed to The Independent that Blomkamp's "Alien" movie had been canceled. The filmmaker stated that Blomkamp had presented a ten-page pitch, and Scott was set to produce, but Fox passed on it. The internet wept, because Blomkamp's vision is exactly what the franchise needed then.

Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequels, "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant," continue to be conversation starters to this day. While they're fantastic sci-fi films in their own right, many question if they enhance or harm the "Alien" franchise (and lore) overall. At the same time, Scott never had the opportunity to finish telling the story he wanted to with the prequels, so it's unfair to pass total judgment without knowing his endgame and the full picture.

In May 2017, a few days before the release of "Covenant," Scott told IGN that it was all systems go for the follow-up. "We're writing [a sequel] now, as we speak," he said. "I'll be filming that within 14 months." In separate interviews, Scott suggested how he could still do multiple films as prequels, even teasing the possibility of including a younger Ripley down the road. More importantly, Scott appeared genuinely excited about where these movies could go.

Yet, two events impacted Scott's grand ambition of an "Alien: Covenant" sequel. One, "Covenant" didn't turn into a box office hit, which instantly pumps the brakes on studio executive excitement. And two, Disney's acquisition of Fox threw a major wrench into the works. Like other Fox franchises around this time, "Alien" was impacted by this complicated business deal. Ultimately, a decision was taken to move forward with Fede Álvarez's "Alien: Romulus," so Scott's proposed third prequel joined the graveyard of canceled "Alien" movies. 

It's no secret that various ideas for "Alien 5" have swirled around since before the release of 1997's "Alien Resurrection" (which is often considered the worst "Alien" movie). In March 2020, Brandywine Productions posted an image of a script titled "Alien V," written by longtime "Alien" producers Walter Hill and David Giler. In big, bold letters was the following subtext: "In space no one can hear you scream. In space no one can hear you dream." Whoa! Freddy Krueger-Xenomorph crossover totally confirmed here!

Jokes aside, Sigourney Weaver revealed to Empire in June 2020 that she had received a 50-page treatment that would have seen Ripley return for "Alien V," but she was uncertain if it was the right move for the character. In 2022, Hill finally addressed the "Alien V" rumors and how far along the idea had gone. "We took a shot at that a couple of years back with Sigourney," Hill told The Hollywood Reporter. "But that was back when 'Aliens' was still at Fox. The people at Disney, who now control 'Aliens,' have expressed no interest in going down that road. I had an idea for a good story with the Ripley character and Sigourney."

Not much information is known about Hill and Giler's idea for a fifth "Alien" flick, so it's tough to determine if Weaver's concern about Ripley was merited or not. It seems like we will never know unless a brave internet warrior finds a way to leak it.

With Ridley Scott's blessing, Fede Álvarez delivered a banger in the form of 2024's "Alien: Romulus." Set in between the events of "Alien" and "Aliens," it proved to be the right move for the franchise, with 20th Century Studios confirming there would be a direct sequel to "Romulus" in October 2024.

Something else interesting happened in the same month, Scott confirmed he was developing a new "Alien" movie. Now, there was no confirmation that it was a project separate to "Romulus," or even the sequel to "Romulus," but it hasn't been unusual to have multiple people working on different projects at the same time in this franchise. After all, "Alien: Earth" is set before "Romulus," but that didn't affect either production. Also, Scott tends to dance to the beat of his own drum, so if he wants to do a new "Alien" movie, he will do so and execs will listen to his pitch.

In 2025, however, Scott's tune changed. Effectively, Ridley Scott stated he will never direct another "Alien" movie, expressing a desire to move away from the franchise and to leave it to others. Now, whether this decision stays permanent or not remains to be seen, but it's more than likely that this filmmaker has certain ideas of where "Alien" could go.