Questions
Who directed Alien and when did it come out?
Alien was directed by Ridley Scott and released in the US on May 25, 1979. It was written by Dan O’Bannon from a story he developed with Ronald Shusett.
What is the movie’s famous tagline?
"In space no one can hear you scream." It remains one of the most iconic taglines in film history.
Who plays Ripley?
Sigourney Weaver plays Ellen Ripley. She was reportedly cast last, and performed her screen tests while the sets were still being built.
Who designed the alien creature?
Swiss artist H.R. Giger designed all of the alien forms and environments, drawing on his biomechanical artwork. The adult xenomorph was played inside the suit by Bolaji Badejo, a design student who stood 6 feet 10 inches tall.
Was the cast really surprised during the chestburster scene?
Reportedly the actors were not warned about the high-pressure blood squibs, so their shock was genuine. The blood sprayed directly at Veronica Cartwright, and her real hysterics were captured on film.
What inspired the look of the chestburster?
The chestburster was reportedly inspired by Francis Bacon’s 1944 painting Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion.
What is the name of the spaceship?
The commercial space tug is called the Nostromo, and the escape shuttle is the Narcissus. Both names come from novels by Joseph Conrad.
Was there really a cat on the crew, and what was its name?
Yes, the crew’s pet cat is named Jones. Four identical cats were used to portray the character during filming.
What was the movie originally going to be called?
The project was initially titled Star Beast. Dan O’Bannon famously said of its influences, "I didn’t steal Alien from anybody. I stole it from everybody!"
What made the alien so hard to kill?
Ron Cobb came up with the idea of giving the creature acidic blood, which made conventional weapons ineffective since firing at it risked breaching the ship’s hull.
How did they create Ash the android’s insides?
For the reactivation scene, the android’s innards were reportedly made from a combination of milk, caviar, pasta, fiber optics, and Foley urinary catheters.
Was anyone else considered for the cast?
Meryl Streep was reportedly considered but not contacted because of her partner’s death at the time, and Helen Mirren also auditioned.
Who composed the music for Alien?
Jerry Goldsmith composed the score. It was conducted by Lionel Newman and performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Did Alien win any awards?
Yes. It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects along with three Saturn Awards, and it was added to the National Film Registry in 2002.
How well did Alien do, and did it spawn sequels?
Made on a budget of roughly $8.4 to $14 million, it earned $78.9 million domestically. It launched a long franchise including Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), and more recently Alien: Romulus (2024).
