Press Release: March 13, 2019 – From the first heart-racing Chestburster scene to the last horrifying Xenomorph attack, ALIEN has terrified audiences around the world for decades, building a loyal fanbase with its unforgettable moments of jump-scare suspense, acid-bleeding Aliens, and strong female heroines. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this groundbreaking sci-fi horror film, Twentieth Century Fox Film partnered with global creative community Tongal to offer die-hard fans an opportunity to develop and produce wholly original shorts set in the world of ALIEN.
After reviewing over 550 pitches from filmmakers, six final stories were chosen. The filmmakers were given unprecedented access to the franchise, including storytelling elements, creatures, and characters, to bring a new, terrifying experience to life for audiences. Each of the six shorts brings forth an exciting new narrative for fans while paying homage to the original film.
Rollout of the six shorts will begin this week, with exclusive fan screenings of the first four at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on Friday, March 15th, followed by C2E2 in Chicago on Saturday, March 23rd. The final two shorts, both helmed by female filmmakers, will screen exclusively for fans at WonderCon on Saturday, March 30th, followed by a moderated panel with the directors. The shorts will be released weekly on IGN, starting on March 29th. Then, beginning May 3rd, they will be available on the official @AlienAnthology social channels and AlienUniverse.com, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
ALIEN: 40th Anniversary Shorts Synopses:
ALIEN: Alone – Hope, an abandoned crew member aboard the derelict chemical hauler Otranto, has spent a year trying to keep her ship and herself alive as both slowly fall apart. After discovering hidden cargo, she risks it all to power up the broken ship in search of human life. Written and directed by Noah Miller
ALIEN: Containment – Four survivors find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. Trying to piece together the details around the outbreak that led to their ship’s destruction, they find themselves unsure to trust whether or not one of them might be infected. Written and directed by Chris Reading
ALIEN: Harvest – The surviving crew of a damaged deep-space harvester have minutes to reach the emergency evacuation shuttle. A motion sensor is their only navigation tool leading them to safety while a creature in the shadows terrorizes the crew. However, the greatest threat might have been hiding in plain sight all along. Directed by Benjamin Howdeshell
ALIEN: Night Shift – When a missing space trucker is discovered hungover and disoriented, his co-worker suggests a nightcap as a remedy. Near closing time, they are reluctantly allowed inside the colony supply depot where the trucker’s condition worsens, leaving a young supply worker alone to take matters into her own hands. Written and directed by Aidan Breznick
ALIEN: Ore – As a hard-working miner of a planet mining colony, Lorraine longs to make a better life for her daughter and grandchildren. When her shift uncovers the death of a fellow miner under mysterious circumstances, Lorraine is forced to choose between escape or defying management orders and facing her fears to fight for the safety of her family. Written and directed by The Spear Sisters
ALIEN: Specimen – It’s the night shift in a colony greenhouse, and Julie, a botanist, does her best to contain suspicious soil samples that have triggered her sensitive lab dog. Despite her best efforts the lab unexpectedly goes into full shutdown and she is trapped inside. Little does she know, an alien specimen has escaped the mysterious cargo, and a game of cat and mouse ensues as the creature searches for a host. Directed by Kelsey Taylor
In addition to the shorts series, Fox has launched several other exciting initiatives around the 40th Anniversary of the premiere of the original ALIEN film. The USC School of Cinematic Arts is currently hosting a special exhibit of elements from all six films in the ALIEN franchise, including concept art by Academy Award-winner H.R. Giger, plus costumes, props, memorabilia, and fan art. Everything ALIEN will culminate in a 24-hour, worldwide celebration on ALIEN DAY, Friday, April 26th. Join the conversation and follow @AlienAnthology on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and dive deeper into the terrifying world of ALIEN on AlienUniverse.com.
