Mark your calendars! On April 26th, Ridley Scott’s Alien will be re-released back into theaters, and it couldn’t be a better time to do just that. The film redefined the fear of the unknown corners of our universe and blended science fiction and horror perfectly. Alien’s tagline is dreadful alone: “In space, no one can hear you scream.” Costing just 11 million dollars to make and grossing over 100 million dollars globally, the film has become a bona fide horror classic that many seek out to watch for a good scare on the regular.
Alien
- Release Date
- May 25, 1979
- Runtime
- 117
These stats and praises are not the only reason why Alien coming back to the big screen is a perfect time. With a brand-new Alien movie on the way this summer, the film’s original director hitting stride with other projects, as well as just seeing this phenomenal piece of horror cinema in the best way possible, are some of the few little tidbits of information as to why you should go seek out Alien on the big screen in just a few weeks.
The Anniversary of a Cinematic Experience
By the time Alien gets put back in theaters at the end of April, it will be nearing the 45th anniversary of its release, just a few months shy, to be exact. Ridley Scott’s tense nightmare about being lost in space and being stalked by a murderous Xenomorph hit theaters on June 22nd, 1979. Not only is this in the ballpark of an anniversary screening, but the technical side of seeing this film in theaters is another reason to purchase a ticket.
There is also a possibility of this film hitting screens at IMAX and PDX theaters. Imagine the sound designs and detail of the visuals on screen during a viewing of the film. There is also a possibility of a 4K release down the pipeline at some point, ever since the film’s sequel, Aliens, got one not too long ago.
Ridley Scott Is in the Zeitgeist Right Now
It really does kind of feel like Ridley Scott has had two movies out a year for the last two decades. When is this guy not working? At the end of last year, Scott’s unconventional and polarizing biopic, Napoleon, was released to mixed to less than satisfactory reviews. Around the same time this year, we are expecting to see his long-awaited sequel to Gladiator.
Sandwiched in the middle is the Alien re-release, the film that put him on the map in the late 1970s. This man is 86 years old, is working harder than anyone right now, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. With Gladiator II on the horizon, this is shaping up to be another big year for Scott. If anything, make 2024 a year to dive deep into the diverse filmography of Ridley Scott films. He has dabbled in just about any genre and is one of the greatest living directors to this day.
The Release of Alien Romulus
We have been given a little tease as to what to expect in the newest installment in the Alien franchise recently. Alien Romulus will hit theaters on August 16th, 2024. In a recent interview, director Fede Álvarez stated that Romulus will take place twenty years after the original film takes place, thus making the year 2142 in this film.
If Romulus is a hit (or even if it isn’t), you potentially have a fun double feature on your hands with these two films. Having the summer marked from beginning to end with Alien films in theaters is going to be a real treat for fans of the franchise. Plus, at the screening of Alien, there will be a quick video of Fede Álvarez and Ridley Scott sitting down to talk about the new film and the iconic franchise before the re-released version plays for audiences.
Reaching a New Generation
Alien is one of those once-in-a-generation films, so, as generations get older, it’s important to pass down the thrilling experience that comes with the film to a new generation. There will always be someone who doesn’t like older movies, but usually the majority of people like to explore the classics.
Having Alien back in theaters in the coming weeks has the potential to do just that: have the film find a new audience. Alien has been doing just that, year after year. A new horror fan is born at some point in the world, and they don’t know it yet, but soon they will discover the film, and it just so happens that this time around they can do that on the big screen.
There isn’t another horror film like Alien, only a batch of rip-offs that are fun but don’t even come close. Ridley Scott can do no wrong, even if he produces a dud here and there. The set design of Alien alone is a horror film with a cargo ship that feels so lived in and worn down. Anything at any moment can go wrong in space, so being one of the many to witness one of the first films to convey that theme in such a scary way on the big screen for the first time in a while is indeed a must-see.
Stream on Alien on Hulu.
