What was created that day wasn’t just a terrifying monster. In the decades that followed, it would grow into a full-fledged fictional world, which has been a part of popular culture for four decades. It is also a subject we cover in our latest book, Alien Legacies.
Alien was originally conceived to cash in on the success of science fiction after Star Wars. However, it grew into a franchise and a universe. Three sequels followed – James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), David Fincher’s Alien3 (1992) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien Resurrection (1997).
Scott also directed two prequels, Prometheus (2017) and Alien Covenant (2012). There was also a “mashup” spin-off franchise – Alien vs Predator, directed by Paul WS Anderson in 2004 and its sequel Requiem (2007).
The film has inspired creativity and innovation beyond the films. There are novelisations as well as video games, audiobooks and toys.
John Hurt got more than what he bargained for in this famous scene. Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy
Alien and Aliens have been the subject of intense scrutiny due to their cultural impact and resonance with debates about gender, technology, and genetics.
Alien is a franchise that has evolved and mutated across various media. The Alien franchise has spread and evolved across different media while remaining true to its cinematic roots.
Alien is, like Star Wars today, what we call a transmedia franchise. It pioneered new ways to expand storytelling across media boundaries. Our book explores the transmedia universe in its entirety, including the original films, prequels, and everything else that has followed.
The franchise is open to new ideas and methods, and has adapted to the changes in media technology and political climate.
Documents purporting “real” crew profiles and training manuals, as well as diaries, that develop and expand our knowledge of this fictional universe, are almost completely neglected.
The 2010 Alien Anthology Blu ray collection included a feature called Weyland Yutani Inquest Nostromo Dossiers. This was a collection of corporate documents that detailed the professional lives and careers of the Nostromo crew.
Look at the crew of Nostromo, including their past jobs and personal lives.
Fans have created some of the material, such as the Colonial Marines Tech Manual. The Alien universe was explored and adapted by many of the creative writers and artists who worked on the Alien franchise. Aliens versus Predator (2013), Aliens and Predator: extinction (2013), and Aliens Colonial Marines (2014) are among them.
Media companies’ attempts to manage and control fan behavior are not new. However, they deserve our attention. 20th Century Fox used a clever strategy to win over fans by inviting people to pitch their short films set within the Alien universe for the 40th anniversary of the series in 2019.
Transmedia marketing campaigns now include fictional corporate websites, exclusive convention events, personalized advertising, and franchise universe websites.
We believe that Alien’s Transmedia Marketing is especially captivating, because it’s closely related to the film production. These marketing campaigns have become as entertaining and creative as the films.