TV
Ridley Scott Says the FX “Alien” Series Will Be 8-10 Hours Long
The Alien universe is about to grow exponentially with FX backing the franchise’s first-ever series.
At the time of the original announcement, Alien director Ridley Scott, who returned to the franchise to helm both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, was in advanced talks to executive produce the small screen series for the cabler.
Now, in an interview with the BCC, as transcribed by Variety, Scott reveals that a pilot is currently being written with what will translate to 8-10 hours of the show. The same is being done with a Blade Runner series.
“Alien” was first announced back in 2020 with Noah Hawley (“Legion,” “Fargo”) attached as showrunner and developing.
As the site notes, FX boss John Landgraf described the project last year as “the first Alien story set on Earth — and by blending both the timeless horror of the first Alien film with the non-stop action of the second, it’s going to be a scary thrill ride that will blow people back in their seats.”
This past July, Hawley clarified that “it’s not a Ripley story,” adding, “She’s one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don’t want to mess with it. It’s a story that’s set on Earth also. The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate.”
Head over to Vanity Fair to read the full chat with Noah Hawley. Or, if you’re jonesing for more Alien content, you can board the Covenant with our own Horror Queers co-hosts Trace Thurman and Joe Lipsett below in their hilarious deep dive.
AMC announced today it has renewed Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for a fourth season, and it’s officially titled Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned.
The news was announced during its Comic-Con International Hall H panel for The Vampire Lestat featuring series executive producers Mark Johnson and Hannah Moscovitch and castmates Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian and Sheila Atim.
Based on the beloved novel, Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned will be executive produced and showrun by Moscovitch, along with executive producers Johnson and Rolin Jones.
An accomplished writer and playwright, Moscovitch was a writer on the first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire and an executive producer on The Vampire Lestat, for which she specifically wrote the “Akasha” and “Gabriella” characters.
“In The Vampire Lestat, Mark, Rolin, Hannah and this extraordinary cast delivered an unforgettable season filled with propulsive storytelling that captivated the passionate and engaged fans of this franchise,” said Dan McDermott, Chief Content Officer of AMC Global Media and President of AMC Studios. “We can’t wait to continue the journey with Queen of the Damned, one of the most iconic stories in Anne Rice’s mythology, and watch our established and beloved characters confront Akasha with their world, and ours, very much hanging in the balance.”
The Vampire Lestat stars Sam Reid, Anderson, Zaman, Bogosian, Atim, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle and is executive produced by award-winning producer Johnson, creator, writer and showrunner Jones, Moscovitch, along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice.
In season three, Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rise, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.
He awakens Akasha (Sheila Atim), the eponymous character of season four. Watch the teaser below.
All hail your new queen.
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