MOVIE NEWS – While Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth have shown that audience interest in the franchise is still strong, James Cameron remains unconvinced. The director behind Aliens acknowledges what works in the newer projects, but believes the mythology has become overly shaped by fan expectations. According to Cameron, there simply is not a paycheck big enough to lure him back to the Alien universe.

Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth have both reinforced the idea that fans are still eager for new stories set in the iconic universe, but James Cameron does not share that excitement. The filmmaker highlighted elements he appreciates in recent entries, while noting that Ridley Scott himself returned to the saga decades later with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Cameron, however, feels that the franchise’s mythology is now too heavily guided by fan-driven narratives and that no financial incentive could persuade him to make another Alien film.

Cameron shared his thoughts on the subject during an appearance on Just Foolin’ About, the podcast hosted by Aliens star Michael Biehn: “You couldn’t pay me enough money to go back to that franchise. It’s almost become fan-driven at this point.”

His comments are less a critique of fan enthusiasm and more a concern that newer storylines feel like echoes of earlier successes rather than genuinely fresh perspectives. Cameron likened this tendency to fan fiction that leans too heavily on its source material. Despite having no desire to return himself, the Avatar director still pointed out what impressed him in recent projects: “The new Alien: Earth is pretty good. They’ve got a lot of the DNA from Ridley’s film, from ours, and also from [David] Fincher’s Alien 3. Some of those aggressive POVs really work.”

Discussing Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, Cameron added, “Yeah, I’ve seen it. I like parts of it. I think it’s inventive, it’s different.” He continued: “Fede did something interesting. I especially like the sequence where they’re weightless, floating between blobs of alien acid. It’s nightmarish and very well executed.”

Cameron also touched on Neill Blomkamp’s long-discussed but unrealized Alien 5, which would have taken place in an alternate timeline where Michael Biehn’s Hicks survived the opening of Alien 3 alongside Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. “I don’t really know anything about that,” Cameron said. “I know Neill a bit; we’ve corresponded. I don’t know the details, but he’s a very inventive guy. He probably would have done something interesting.”

Compared to other major sci-fi franchises, Alien is not expanding at a rapid pace. Before Romulus arrived in theaters in 2024, the previous installment was Alien: Covenant in 2017. With Romulus performing well both critically and financially, Álvarez is now developing a sequel, though he will not direct it. Since Romulus functions more as a spin-off than a direct continuation, the door remains open for additional side stories from other filmmakers.

On television, Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth earned strong reviews and gradually built a sizable audience. A second season of the series has officially been ordered.

Another iconic sci-fi property, Predator, faced similar challenges in the past, only to regain momentum with Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Predator: Badlands. Given the history of crossovers between the two franchises, fans are now speculating whether another shared project could eventually emerge.

Source: MovieWeb