James Cameronrecently revealed that he could be about to return to theTerminatorfranchise with a new secret project, but what about revisiting his other iconic sci-fi horror movie,Aliens? It seems that whileCameron was happy to lend a hand to Fede ÁlvarezonAlien: Romulus, he is doubtful about returning to theAlienfranchise himself.
Ridley Scott created one of the most tense, claustrophobic, and shocking sci-fi horror movies of all time when he releasedAlienon unsuspecting cinema audiences in 1979. However, in 1986, James Cameron came in to deliver what seemed impossible – a sequel that managed to match and, in many ways, surpass the original by not attempting to copy Scott’s tight, enclosed film but instead blowing it open as an all-guns-blazing action blockbuster.
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original Alien, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the aliens' planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android (Lance Henriksen), and a Company executive (Paul Reiser) with a mission of his own. Once on the planet, no survivors can be found except for Newt, a little girl who awakens motherly instincts in Ripley just in time for the acid-blooded aliens to attack in what quickly becomes a one-sided battle for sheer survival.
Despite the popularity of the film, Cameron has never returned to the franchise as director, and in a recent interview with The Guardian, he suggested that he probably never will. When asked if he would consider getting behind the camera for another Alien movie, he said:
“It’s kind of trampled ground at this point. I wouldn’t rule anything out but I’ve got 23 other projects in the queue before that hypothetical one so I’m going to guess with me turning 70, that ain’t going to happen. You’ve got to pick your battles at some point. You know what I mean?”
James Cameron Has Moved into a Different Alien Franchise
While there are fans that would be interested in seeing what Cameron could do if he stepped back into the world of Xenomorphs and Facehuggers, he currently has his hands full with a different franchise featuring some less villainous aliens. That franchise is his own baby and one that he seems intent on seeing through himself;Avatar.
When given the choice between going down in history as the director who abandoned his own concept to make a moderately successfulAlienssequel, or potentially becoming the director of five of the highest grossing movies of all time – and potentially five $2 billion movies at that – Cameron’s choice of battle seems pretty sound. Although he was originallyconsidering letting someone else take over theAvatarfranchisebeyond the upcoming third movie, his latest comments suggested that he has had a change of heart. He recently said:
“I mean they’re going to have to stop me. I got plenty of energy, love doing what I’m doing. Why would I not? And they’re written [Avatar 4 & 5], by the way. I just reread both of them about a month ago. They’re cracking stories. They got to get made. Look, if I get hit by a bus and I’m in an iron lung, somebody else is going to do it.”
Alien: Romulus Review | The Best Film in the Franchise Since James Cameron’s Aliens
A desperate miner (Cailee Spaeny) and her synthetic brother (David Jonsson) embark on a risky salvage operation above a distant colony.
Having created analmost perfect franchise sequelwithAliens, delivered the greatestTerminatormovie withTerminator 2: Judgement Day, and seenAvatar: The Way of Waterbecome a $2 billion success, it is clear that Cameron has a knack for sequels that has mostly gone untapped in the past. With three moreAvatarmovies potentially ready and waiting for his savvy directorial edge, he could be about to make up for that in the most profitable and historically far-reaching way imaginable.
Aliensis currently streaming on Hulu.AvatarandAvatar: The Way of Waterare available to stream on Max.
