Alien (film)
A 1979 sci-fi horror film about a deadly alien creature.
In 1979, director Ridley Scott and writer Dan O'Bannon, working from a story co-created with Ronald Shusett, brought *Alien* to the screen. This science fiction horror film centers on the crew of a commercial starship who, after investigating a derelict spacecraft, find themselves pursued by a lethal extraterrestrial. The cast includes Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto. Produced by Gordon Carroll, David Giler, and Walter Hill under their Brandywine Productions banner, the film was released by 20th Century-Fox. Giler and Hill also revised and expanded the script, while Shusett served as executive producer. The terrifying creature and its environment were conceived by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, with other sets designed by concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss.
The film premiered at the fourth Seattle International Film Festival on May 24, 1979, before a wide U.S. release on June 22 and a U.K. release on September 6. Initial reviews were mixed, but it earned the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, three Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction for Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright), and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. During its first theatrical run, *Alien* grossed $78.9 million in the United States and £7.8 million in the United Kingdom, with worldwide estimates ranging from $109 million to $188 million.
Over time, critics reassessed *Alien*, hailing it as one of the greatest and most influential science fiction and horror films ever made. In 2002, the Library of Congress deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry. The American Film Institute ranked it the seventh-best science fiction film in 2008, and *Empire* placed it 33rd on its list of the greatest films of all time. Its success launched a media franchise spanning films, books, video games, and toys, and significantly boosted Weaver's career. Her character's encounters with the alien became the core of the sequels *Aliens* (1986), *Alien 3* (1992), and *Alien Resurrection* (1997). A crossover with the *Predator* franchise produced the *Alien vs. Predator* films, while Scott directed a two-film prequel series. A standalone sequel, *Alien: Romulus*, arrived in 2024, and a television prequel
- Release year
- 1979
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Writer
- Dan O'Bannon
- Genre
- Science fiction horror
- Distributor
- 20th Century-Fox
- Academy Award
- Best Visual Effects
- National Film Registry
- Selected in 2002
Lore & Background
Alien premiered on May 24, 1979 at the fourth Seattle International Film Festival. It received a wide release on June 22 and was released on September 6 in the United Kingdom. It initially received mixed reviews, but won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, three Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction for Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright), and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Alien grossed $78.9 million in the United States and £7.8 million in the United Kingdom during its first theatrical run. Its worldwide gross has been estimated at between $109 million and $188 million.
Reader's Guide
In subsequent years, Alien was critically reassessed and described as one of the greatest and most influential science fiction and horror films of all time. In 2002, Alien was deemed 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In 2008, it was ranked by the American Film Institute as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre, and as the 33rd-greatest film of all time by Empire. The success of Alien spawned a media franchise of films, books, video games, and toys, and propelled Weaver's acting career. The story of her character's encounters with the alien creatures became the thematic and narrative core of the sequels Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997). A crossover with the Predator franchise produced the Alien vs. Predator films, while a two-film prequel series was directed by Scott before Alien: Romulus (2024), a standalone sequel, was released. A television prequel written by Noah Hawley and produced by Scott, Alien: Earth, was released on FX on Hulu on August 12, 2025.
Did You Know?
- The alien creatures and environments were designed by Swiss artist H. R. Giger.
- Sigourney Weaver's role as Ripley was her first leading role in a motion picture.
- The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
- Alien was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2002.
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