Rumors of the Alien franchise’s impending demise in the hands of new owner Disney are apparently without merit, as a new R-rated animated Alien series is reportedly on the way.
According to Observer, a seven-episode R-rated animated series based on the 2014 video game Alien: Isolation is in the works from Axis Animation, the same company responsible for the game’s visual effects. The reported series would focus on the continued adventures of Amanda Ripley, daughter of franchise protagonist Ellen Ripley, who was introduced in Isolation. While the report is unconfirmed, it does seem to follow the same trajectory of a report from HN Entertainment a week earlier that claimed two new live-action Alien TV series are in the works, one of which is allegedly being produced by Ridley Scott himself for Hulu.
With all of this smoke, it would seem to indicate that there is fire in the form of the franchise probably making the move to the small screen. It’s a move that would make a lot of sense when you think about it. Alien is still a franchise with a sizable fanbase, but it has floundered with its recent big-screen installments of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. A move to TV is cheaper with lower stakes, and, as we’ve seen with Star Trek and its ever-increasing television output, it can go along way toward creating buzz for a franchise. So perhaps in the near future, television will become the space where no one can hear you scream.
