How Ridley Scott was able to save classic science fiction film Alien from B-Movie hell (video).
Before shooting a single picture, here is the tale of how Ridley Scott rescued the scifi movie classic Alien. The production firm that purchased the Alien screenplay had an unconventional concept. They want to elevate what many would consider a B-level horror movie to an A-level experience.
While 20th Century Fox agreed to support the film, they were dubious and unwilling to take the financial risk required to produce a quality science fiction horror film.
The person who would finally have to persuade Fox to alter their views was a little-known filmmaker by the name of Ridley Scott, whose first film had minimal box office success and second movie crashed before it even began.
But Scott would arrive to Fox with a distinctive perspective and inspirations, repurposing concepts from a misfired sci-fi epic… a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of the romantic novel Tristan and Iseult from the 12th century.