While recognized today as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Ridley Scott began his career in television as a designer and director before moving into advertising as a director of commercials. Scott eventually gained prominence in the movie space, not for his first directorial work, The Duellists, but for his second, which also marked his debut in the science fiction genre. Although the film initially received mixed reviews, it later became a critical and commercial hit, was labeled one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, and spawned an acclaimed multimedia franchise.
Scott worked with late sci-fi icons Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, who created the Alien franchise to release the first titular entry in 1979. That same film has continued to be a favorite among genre fans who have given it a surprise revival on streaming amid anticipation for the return of the franchise’s newest entry, Alien: Earth. Titled Alien, the classic is a global streaming smash on HBO Max, ranking in the ninth spot while its 2024 sequel Alien: Romulus tops the charts.
How Well Do You Know Ridley Scott’s First Sci-Fi Film?
Based on a story by Shusett and O’Bannon, who wrote the film, Alien follows the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo in deep space. The group is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship—an organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma. The film stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto.
In the years following Alien’s release, critics and audiences alike have heaped praise on the masterpiece as reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes ratings. The sci-fi horror holds an impressive 93% Tomatometer score and a 94% Popcornmeter rating. As for its finances, it grossed $78.9 million in the U.S. and £7.8 million in the U.K. during its first theatrical run, and its worldwide gross is roughly $104-$188 million. Furthermore, Alien won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects as well as a Hugo Award and three Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction for Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright.
Alien is available to watch on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more information.
Release Date
June 22, 1979
Runtime
117 Minutes