Get ready for the return of the biggest, ugliest, meanest aliens in the galaxy.
The upcoming Alien TV series has landed effects studio Weta to design the Xenomorphs for the show based on the classic 1979 horror/sf film, according to a report on the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy website.
Weta–comprised of Weta Digital and Weta Workshop–would seem well-suited to handle both the computer-generated and the practical effects that will likely be needed on the show.
Weta–founded by acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson in 1993–has already worked on the digital effects of such genre films as Prometheus, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Godzilla vs. Kong and the Planet of the Apes trilogy.
The Alien TV series–created by showrunner Noah Hawley–will be set on a future Earth, a first for the franchise. These new surroundings, according to Hawley, will be a change from the storyline always being “trapped–trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit.”
Hawley recently gave an update on the series, saying the show “is going to be great. It’s going slowly, unfortunately, given the scale of it.” He added that the story is “fascinating because it’s not just a monster movie. It’s about how we’re trapped between the primordial past and the artificial intelligence of our future–with both trying to kill us.”
Ridley Scott–the filmmaker behind the original Alien who will serve as producer of the series–said plans call for between eight and 10 one-hour episodes. The series is expected to debut on FX sometime next year.
The first Alien film–directed by Scott from a screenplay by Dan O’Bannon–follows the crew of the space tug Nostromo, who have the misfortune of running into the monstrous Xenomorph. That movie–which raked in more than $106 million on a budget of $11 million–gave birth to a media franchise that includes films, novels, comic books, video game and shiploads of collectibles.
Keep reading Horror News Network for further updates on the Alien TV series on FX.
