Disney is reportedly adding all of the Alien movies to its vault, a new report by Vulture suggests. Disney has been well known for vaulting its own iconic film properties as a means of increasing demand for its titles - a tactic not many fans are fans of, but a tactic which will soon be undone with the launch of its streaming service, Disney+. However, Alien and other Fox properties will still be locked away in an effort to combat independent theaters and chains from profiting by screening those classic films. It is suggested non-profit theaters will still be allowed to screen Alien movies, though:
In August, Rachel Fox, the senior programmer for the Rio Theater near Vancouver, tried to book the original Alien to play alongside the upcoming Alien making-of documentary, Memory: The Origins of Alien. Disney told her that the title was unavailable, even though Alien has had one-off screenings in theaters all over North America throughout 2019, the movie’s 40th anniversary year, and is being shown via satellite in hundreds of theaters by Fathom Events this month.
Disney officially declined to comment for this piece, but a film distributor with firsthand knowledge of the company’s policy says it is directed at theaters that screen first-run Disney and Fox content alongside older titles. The distributor said that screenings of vintage Fox films would still be allowed at nonprofit theaters such as Film Forum in New York and Segundo’s Old Town Music Hall, and in some other venues, including outdoor screenings in public spaces and at museums and cultural institutions (particularly ones dedicated to cinema, such as the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York, and the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago).
Despite Disney adding the Alien films to its vault, no additional news has yet been released regarding any upcoming / future Alien films. Last we heard, a script was currently being written, however that was back in the summer and since then, it's been radio silence from Disney.
On a lighter note, an Alien TV series is reportedly in development at Hulu and will look at exploring and expanding the Alien cinematic universe.
As we learn more about Disney's plans with Alien, we'll be sure to keep you posted!
More Alien Movie Universe News & Articles
Now that Alien: Romulus is out, discuss the film with other Alien fans in the Alien: Romulus forums here.
Visit the Alien: Earth TV Series forums to browse topics about the upcoming TV series by Noah Hawley as well! Got news for the Alien: Earth TV series? You can share that, here!
