James Cameron goes into detail on what he would’ve done if Aliens were filmed today. Released in 1986, the movie came after Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, Alien, as the second installment in the franchise. Set in a distant future, the sequel follows Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the alien attack in the flagship installment.
While talking to Jake Hamilton, Cameron shared how he’d approach the Alien Queen’s design in his 1986 movie if it were made now. The filmmaker admitted that he would use CGI to create the Alien Queen’s figure and revealed that they had to make “a lot of forced cuts” so the character would work on camera.
More on the subject of using CG in the process of making a film, Cameron stated that he believes “either one is a means to an end.” Check out his full comments below:
If I was doing Aliens today and there were no other history around it, other than, you know, Ridley’s film prior to mine, The Alien Queen would be CG. We had to make a lot of cuts and cut around a lot of little flaws in the mythology back then and a lot of forced cuts. I didn’t get to do what was in my mind. So, you know, there’s no limitation of that.
I’m not a big advocate of doing things in camera, certainly not like Christopher Nolan is, for example, who’s quite adamant about it. To me, either one is a means to an end. I mean, I don’t mind going out of my way to do CG for its own sake, but I certainly don’t, if something can be done in camera, sure. Why make it harder for yourself? I certainly don’t think it’s an ethos or even an aesthetic anymore.
What James Cameron’s Comments Mean For Aliens
Made before CGI, both Cameron’s Aliens and Ridley Scott’s Alien relied on practical effects. While Scott experimented with newer technology in Covenant, the film was most criticized for its use of CGI, which some stressed had made the Xenomorphs look unreal. Scott also previously shared that he prefers practical effects over computer-generated imagery.
Cameron, on the other hand, has a very different view of this technology. The Avatar director relied heavily on CGI to make his groundbreaking 2009 movie, and Avatar: The Way of Water utilized the technology even more extensively and achieved phenomenal success. Both movies are examples of what CGI could achieve.
Cameron’s comments shed some light on how differently filmmakers work from one another. At the same time, the director also revealed that he could’ve done so much more narratively and creatively with the Alien Queen if the movie were made today. Previously, he explained that aliens were often shown to hide their full forms due to limitations.
Our Take On A CGI Alien Queen In Aliens
Cameron’s comments almost make me crave another Alien movie from the prolific filmmaker, even though he’s booked through 2031. It’s fascinating to imagine how Aliens would’ve been different if Cameron had been able to imagine freely without technological limitations. The movie would’ve offered a much more intimate and terrifying portrayal of the Xenomorph Queen, featuring her in different forms and movements.
While the filmmaker may have been slightly disappointed about how the Alien Queen turned out in his 1986 classic, Aliens is still widely considered as one of the best science fiction films ever made, having inspired countless other projects. Yet if Cameron were given CGI as a tool to make the movie, it might likely be even more iconic.
