In an age of boilerplate sequels that end up regurgitating the same formula over and over, Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant felt like a bold step into the unknown. A direct sequel to 2012’s Prometheus and a prequel to the 1979 sci-fi classic Alien, it served as a bridge between the past and the future to one of the most iconic sci-fi horror franchises of all time. With audiences slightly discombobulated by the lack of xenomorphs in Prometheus, though, it’s clear that Alien: Covenant was all set to be a crowd-pleaser, bringing the focus of the series back to one of cinema’s most terrifying monsters. Thing is, audiences were split on some of the narrative decisions that were made during the overarching plot.
Eschewing some of the more cerebral and philosophical themes of its 2012 predecessor, Alien: Covenant is largely a more grounded sci-fi action-adventure pic that leans heavily into the parasitic body horror roots of the original films. While there are a few tethers to Prometheus‘s grandiose themes of mankind’s origin, and while the movie does continue the android-gone-rogue David’s story, there’s definitely an air of course corrective studio meddling likely in response to the mixed reaction of its forebear.
Nevertheless, what we got was a more marketable film — with the enigmatic xenomorph at the forefront of said marketing — that attempted to placate its fanbase by “listening” to audience feedback. In all, however, the studio’s attempts to please everyone ended up backfiring significantly, tearing the fanbase asunder. Yes, while Alien: Covenant managed to nab a respectable 65% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, David’s proposed trilogy was ultimately put on ice. Well, until Fede Álvarez stepped in to direct 2024’s Alien: Romulus, which is proving to be a huge hit at the box office right now (at the time of writing, it’s raked in $225,248,744 globally).
At first blush, seeing Ridley Scott step aside for a new director and a new direction for the beloved franchise — which is now, of course, owned by Disney — does appear like Alien: Romulus is an attempt to uncouple itself from the mixed reactions of the prequels. The twist is, however, Álvarez’s latest pic actually harbors plenty of overt callbacks to Scott’s prequels, which is honestly a really neat surprise, especially to those like me, who appreciated the world-building and heady themes within Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
But, maybe I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for Scott’s prequel movies, as surprisingly, Alien: Covenant has managed to lodge itself into Disney+’s Top 10 most-watched films today. Currently, it sits at number 10 in the global charts, according to streaming aggregator Flix Patrol, and has snagged Top 10 positions across 14 different countries, including Mexico, South Korea, and Costa Rica.
Sure, say what you will about the Alien prequels, but it’s fair to say that they were incredibly ambitious and showcase a unique brand of big budget sci-fi that is largely absent from modern day Hollywood. While Alien: Romulus may be getting all the plaudits right now — and rightly so — it’s clear that both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant will likely soon receive their own critical and audience re-evaluation as time goes on.
I mean, just look at Alien 3. Everyone absolutely hated that movie when it first came out. And now, it’s considered a bit of a classic. I guess only time will tell, eh?
