Is there another movie monster that commands the screen quite like the Xenomorph?
H.R. Giger’s onyx-colored nightmare machine has been described as the perfect organism – one capable of surviving in the harshest of conditions and hunting its prey from afar. It bleeds acid, too, just in case you were wondering if Giger’s serpentine creation could get any worse.
Because even as the Alien franchise approaches its 40th birthday, encountering one or two hiccups (read: Alien 3 and Resurrection) along the way, the Xenomorph is still widely considered to be one of the most famous (and deadliest!) creations ever put on film, and thanks to Bloody Disgusting, today brings forth what is perhaps the definitive behind-the-scenes gallery for the Alien series.
Originally posted through imgur, we’ve embedded the candid shots below. And you may want to pop the kettle on, as there are more than 100 images that have been pulled from the Fox archives.
From overgrown Facehuggers to a detailed breakdown of the Xenomorph itself, this is an incredible visual account of the Alien franchise and its time-honored legacy.
Most, if not all of the photos are pulled from Ridley Scott’s 1979 original, but there are five or ten images from Aliens, the action-oriented sequel from James Cameron, stowed away in there to help mix things up. There’s no love shown to Prometheus or Covenant, though, which have formed the basis of Scott’s somewhat divisive prequel trilogy.
Speaking of which, it’s reportedly been placed on hold since Covenant failed to meet box office expectations, though last we reported Ridley Scott outlined his desire to double down on artificial intelligence in his next Alien movie – presumably at the expense of Neill Blomkamp’s planned sequel.