Noah Hawley, creator and writer of the Fargo and Legion television series on FX, is bringing another prestigious name to FX: Alien. Hawley shed some insight into the upcoming Alien series on FX during a showing of the original 1979 film at the Austin Film Society in early April. Hawley spoke about how his daughter found the film “very slow,” which was the catalyst for one of his creative objectives for the new series — namely, he wants to bring back some of the “mystique” and intrigue behind the character that has been lacking in recent iterations.
“When FX asked me if I was interested in adapting what is now a franchise, but for me was always this film, I had to think about what it was about the movie that inspired originally and would I be able to create that for an audience,” Hawley said at the Austin Film Society screening of Alien. “Of course, you can only see Alien for the first time once and there’s something so unpredictable to the creature at the heart of it, and so disturbing about it, that after 6 movies you think “well, maybe there’s no mystery left to it.” What’s interesting to me is to try to remystify the franchise. The creature, the story, for a modern audience in the way that my 15-year-old won’t think is slow, is the requirement.”
Hawley also described his experience working with renowned director of the first Alien film, as well as Gladiator, Blade Runner, Alien: Covenant and many more well-known films, Ridley Scott, who will serve as executive producer for the upcoming Alien series on FX. Hawley described Scott as an individual who “works harder than you,” despite being 85-years-old.
“It’s really one of the joys of my careers that I get to spend time with and interact with the filmmakers who inspired me, like the Cohen Brothers or Ridley,” Hawley said.
Hawley also revealed that the Alien series on FX would be shooting for a release near the end of 2024, with filming beginning this summer and series likely being 8 hours in overall length. Hawley added that the “first year” would be 8 hours long, already hinting at the possibility of a second season.
What do you think of Noah Hawley’s creative aim thus far with the upcoming Alien series on FX? Let us know in the comments.
