Alien to infest Hulu and Star on Disney+

Marvel Comics' all-new Alien series heralds the arrival of the iconic movie monster at Disney.

Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, looks ahead to the first live-action spin-off series coming to FX on Hulu and Star on Disney+.

Guest post by Nick Smith

I first saw Sir Ridley Scott’s Alien on TV as a teenager. I’d read a lot about H.R. Giger’s designs, seen pictures of the Space Jockey, watched clips and spoofs of the chestburster scene and read reviews describing Alien as a “boo!” of a film. But I wasn’t prepared for the sheer excitement of watching it as it built to its roller coaster peak of a finale. I watched it at midnight, alone, in the dark. It was a goose-bumping, singular experience that could be repeated but surely never topped.

Not to be outdone, James Cameron (Avatar) went ahead and topped it with his sequel. It was bigger, more exciting, satirising military movie stereotypes in the same vein as Alien’s over-the-top “company” had commented on powerful corporations, steering just this side of realism. Instead of Jones the cat, Ripley had a little girl to rescue, emphasizing her maternal instincts. Aliens is rarely matched for its thrills and characters you care about.

I played my Alien and Aliens soundtrack LPs until vinyl wasn’t a thing anymore. They made great background music when I was writing, furiously typing away to James Horner’s climactic beats. If I’d been able to get my young paws on Kenner’s toy range, I would have bought every figure. But the range never surfaced in my local toy store.

The Kenner range was released in the US in the early ‘90s, featuring animal hybrid xenomorphs that prefigured the bio-blends of later sequels. There were toys of the marines from Aliens (Apone, Hudson, Drake and Vasquez) despite the sticky end they received in the movie!

A cartoon was proposed, but perhaps we should be thankful that a great outer space horror movie didn’t get turned into watered-down, kid-friendly fare a la the Rambo and RoboCop toons that did get produced.

Now there are Alien toys in the local Walmart and Disney has its mousey gloves on Fox’s cash creature. In December 2020, Disney announced its mission to make Alien its next 'mega-franchise.' The live-action series will be on Star on Disney+ internationally and FX on Hulu in the US, with Noah Hawley (Fargo) showrunning and Sir Ridley Scott in an executive producer role. Will the forthcoming live-action series be a pale imitation of its silver screen forbears, like My Big fat Greek Life (except with creatures laying eggs in your chest)?

On the big screen, the xenomorph has never quite reached its Scott/Cameron heights since Aliens was released in 1986. While Prometheus was intriguing, it trod stale ground with its “Ancient Aliens” ideas and characters as cold as LV-426, distant from the sympathetic heroes of the first two Alien films.

TV might be a good fit for the franchise right now. The format is more prone to showing scary stuff these days; while in the 70s and 80s it would focus on atmosphere and characterization, now we can see special effects gore (The Walking Dead) and spectacle (the twisted corpse sculptures of Hannibal).

How much will be shown on FX on Hulu and Star on Disney+? Promisingly, a source told Edward Lauder of Small Screen, "These future Alien properties will be full-blown action-horror. They are not intending to make these upcoming movies and TV shows PG-13. Disney execs see this property and the Predator franchise – which they now also own – as their ‘adult’ offerings and they are hoping to boost their adult subscribers…"

Although the new show is being touted as the first story set on Earth, we’ve already seen xenomorphs on the loose in Alien vs Predator: Requiem. If that 2007 film hadn’t been part of the saga, it would have been fine as a monsters-on-the-loose film. But it failed to live up to its legacy with a puppy love story pandering to 18-to-25-year-olds instead of focusing on mature, capable actors. So how can the new showrunners learn from Requiem’s mistakes?

I like a happy ending as much as the next viewer, but Lost and The Walking Dead have shown that audiences are not turned off by the death of major characters; in Alien, the ‘final girl’ element raises the stakes and makes us care more about her, admiring the fact that she survives.

If the new Alien series wants to endure, it will have to cater to the fans who have supported the movies over the years, invent new ways to incorporate original, horrific ideas, and scare the pants off them.

Are you looking forward to the Alien spin-off series? Let me know in the comments below.

Alien Marvel

For a generation of Alien, Predator and Star Wars fans (myself included), Dark Horse Comics satiated fevered fandom between movie franchise instalments in the nineties.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, Dark Horse Comics relinquished the Star Wars license back to Marvel Comics as expected. Following the House of Mouse's subsequent acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox's film and television assets, the Alien and Predator franchises have also moved from Dark Horse Comics to Marvel Comics.

Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, grabs a couple of issues of Marvel Comics' all-new Alien series, from TBS Comics in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and goes on a bug hunt!

Guest post by Nick Smith

Space should be a scary place. Despite NASA’s Ad Astra derring-do and our primal desire to see what’s out there, the void beyond Earth’s atmosphere is cold, dark and full of danger.

The best Alien comics capture this sense of dread: come fly the unfriendly skies, where one misstep could cost you your chest. I’ve yet to read one that really captures the body horror, psychosexual symbolism and bleak outlook of the original movie. Dark Horse’s 1989 spin-off Aliens, by Mark Verheiden and Mark A. Nelson, came closest, a benchmark for high-quality comics, benefiting from its black and white interiors.

Later efforts suffered from out-of-place Sam Kieth art (in Earth War), cardboard characterisations and horrible retro-edits to make them fit into a continuity nobody wanted. A slew of one-shots and mini-series seemed like mere moneymakers.

Five years after the last drop of synthetic milk was squeezed from Dark Horse’s cash cow, Marvel presents a new take on Ridley Scott and HR Giger’s nightmare vision. The result is one of the best storylines since Verheiden’s run.

In issue #1 we’re introduced to Gabriel Cruz, who retires from running Epsilon Orbital Research and Development Station and tries to reconnect with his estranged son. Their reunion doesn’t go very well and the son causes trouble for Cruz in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Cruz is beset by post-traumatic flashes of a previous encounter with the xenomorphs. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson really makes us feel like we’re involved in the action and we care about Cruz from the get-go.

Disappointingly, artist Salvador Larroca’s art doesn’t really work for this kind of story. The images are too clean and the characters have plastic avatar faces. It’s a testament to Johnson’s work that we still sympathize with them and want to know what happens next.

Larroca can draw a mean alien, though, and his human faces improve in issue #2. It’s a little late though, because a whole bunch of humans end up dead thanks to the freaky creatures loose on the station.

As Cruz prepares to face the aliens again, he also encounters homages to the first two Alien movies. There’s a Newt-like little girl, military grunts who expect a traditional ‘bug hunt’ and are unprepared for xenomorphs, and biological research that you just know is a bad idea.

Other Marvel revamps – Conan, Star Wars – have succeeded by maintaining a respect for the source material. So far Marvel’s Alien does the same, finding just the right balance between something old (a version of Bishop, the ‘artificial person’ from Aliens), something new (Gabriel Cruz), something borrowed (facehuggers hiding in nooks and crannies) and something silently screaming in the blackness of space.

Far superior to Dark Horse’s later comics, this 4-issue series is recommended for readers who like to take their sci-fi with a splash of acid blood.

Aliens Omnibus Vol. 1 (affiliate link) is available for pre-order.

Are you reading Marvel Comics' Alien series? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars fan film: Scorekeeper

This past year, I've not shared many fan films and wanted to redress that. And to make a new year's resolution to further support the creative fanbases of Doctor Who, Star Wars and more as we continue to navigate the 'new normal' together in 2021.

Scorekeeper is a fun not-for-profit mash-up of Star Wars and Predator franchises from Creative Force Films (CFF), based out of Atlanta, GA. Featuring bounty hunter Bossk from The Empire Strikes Back and The Clone Wars.

"An Elite Rebel Team infiltrates an Imperial outpost on a mission of securing an asset that has vital information. Unbeknownst to them, they are not the only ones on the hunt."



If you have a fan film you'd like to share, please contact me.

Alien and Predator move to Marvel

For a generation of Alien, Predator and Star Wars fans (myself included), Dark Horse Comics satiated fevered fandom between movie franchise instalments and Kenner (bought by Hasbro) produced an amazing line of tie-in toys, available at Argos, in the nineties.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, as expected, Dark Horse Comics lost the Star Wars license back to Marvel Comics. Following the House of Mouse's acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox's film and television assets, the Alien and Predator comics are also moving from Dark Horse Comics to Marvel Comics.

"There's nothing more thrilling than a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat, and Alien and Predator have delivered that time and time again!" C.B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, told IGN. "I can clearly remember where I was when I saw each of these modern masterpieces for the first time, and reveling in how both masterfully weave extraterrestrial dread and drama into some of the most iconic scenes we've ever seen on film. And it's that legacy that we're going to live up to!"

"The incredible legacies of both franchises offer some of the most compelling and exciting worldbuilding in all of science fiction," said Marvel Editor Jake Thomas. "It is a thrill and an honor to be able to add to that mythology and continuity with all-new stories set within those universes."

"Alien and Predator are the two of the most identifiable, iconic characters of all time, and I love them for that," said comic book artist David Finch. "But mostly, it's being fortunate enough to be a kid when they were new. I've seen every movie they've ever been in, and I cannot wait to see them wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. I drew my pictures of them with a massive smile on my face."

"As a visual medium, comics are the perfect place to build on those moments, and we here at Marvel are honored to begin telling these stories for fans everywhere," added Cebulski. "As our release schedule continues to return, we can't wait to share more in the coming months!"

Due to the Disney takeover and coronavirus pandemic, director Ridley Scott's Alien prequels remain in cryostasis for now. However, there's talk of an Aliens live-action spin-off series coming to Hulu.

Alien and Predator begin their all-new comic book turf war in 2021.

Shane Black's Predator reboot evolves the species

Director Shane Black's (Iron Man 3) Predator reboot evokes action movies from the 1980s in the latest trailer and there's an in-joke relating to Black's character in the original Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.



Read Fox’s full synopsis of the film:

"From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black’s explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race."

The Predator will be released in cinemas 14th September.

Predator returns to UK cinemas for 30th anniversary

Get to da choppa! Thanks to the folks at Park Circus Films, fans of the original Predator can celebrate the 30th anniversary of Arnold Schwarzenegger's classic sci-fi action movie, directed by John McTiernan, on the big screen.



Predator sees Arnold joined on his quest to defeat an invisible alien hunter by Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, Elpidia Carrillo, Richard Chaves, Jesse Ventura and Shane Black. The latter is directing next year’s reboot The Predator.

The movie was a box office hit, spawning a successful video game tie-in, Dark Horse Comics series, sequels and Aliens vs. Predator spin-off franchise.

Predator returns to UK cinemas from 9th November. Park Circus Films will also release Predator in selected international markets throughout the autumn and winter.

Iron Man 3 director Shane Black returns to Predator

Last summer's Iron Man 3 was arguably the franchise's best installment to date! Director Shane Black flipped the tin man on his head in the wake of Avengers Assemble, and gave cinemagoers a memorable blockbuster ride with a twist.

With Shane Black back in the spotlight it's apt he's reportedly returning to the Predator franchise. Black played Hawkins and delivered the movie's most salacious dialogue, which I won't reprint here. He's slated to direct a sequel and not a reboot at Twentieth Century Fox.

Given the critical and commercial success of Iron Man 3 there's no reason why the alien hunter can't benefit from Black's inventiveness.

Has Predator had its day? Let me know in the comments below.