James Cameron Slams ALIEN 3, Calls the Film’s Opening Move “The Stupidest F***ing Thing”
James Cameron, the filmmaker behind Aliens, recently shared his blunt thoughts on why Alien 3 never worked for him, taking direct aim at the film’s most controversial creative choice. Along the way, Cameron also weighed in on the franchise’s modern direction and made it clear that fans shouldn’t expect him to ever return to the series.
There’s no debating the legacy of Ridley Scott’s Alien, that was an awesome sci-fi horror film! But, for a lot of fans, Cameron’s sequel elevated the franchise and took it to a whole new level of greatness.
Aliens expanded the universe, introduced a bunch of great characters, and gave audiences a squad worth rooting for. ThenAlien 3, directed by David Fincher, came along and made some incredibly poor creative choices, which caused the film to land with a thud.
The biggest issue has always been how the film opens. Corporal Hicks, Bishop, and Newt are all killed off before the story even gets moving, leaving Ellen Ripley as the lone survivor once again. For Cameron, that decision undercut everything his film worked to build.
In a recent conversation with Michael Biehn, Cameron didn’t mince words about seeing those characters wiped out so abruptly.
"I thought that was the stupidest f***ing thing. So, you build a lot of goodwill around the characters of you know, Hicks, Newt and Bishop, and then the first thing they do in the in the next film is kill them all off, right?
“Really smart guys, you know, and replace them with a bunch of [frick]ing convicts that you hate. And want to see die. Really clever."
That frustration has echoed among fans for decades, but Cameron was careful to separate the movie’s problems from its director. Studio interference famously plagued the production, something that eventually led Fincher to distance himself from the finished film.
"Now, I’m a big fan of Fincher and his work and all that, and that was his first feature film, and he was getting vectored around by a lot of other voices and all that. So, I give him a free pass on that one."
Cameron also touched on how the Alien franchise has evolved since then. He had kind words for Alien: Earth, calling it "pretty good," and offered measured praise for Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez.
"I like parts of it. I think it’s inventive. It’s different. Fede did something interesting as well. I particularly like the scene where they’re weightless, floating in between the globs of floating alien acid, you know, which is like pretty nightmarish and well done."
The conversation eventually drifted to the long-canceled Alien 5, which would have been directed by Neil Blomkamp. Cameron said he doesn’t know the specifics behind why it fell apart, though it’s widely believed Scott’s prequel plans with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant played a role. Even so, Cameron feels Blomkamp "would have done something interesting."
Anyone hoping Cameron himself might one day return to the Xenomorph-infested universe should lower their expectations immediately.
"Yeah, you couldn’t pay me enough money to go back to that franchise there. It’s sort of almost become fan-driven."
Cameron’s future looks busy regardless, with more Avatar sequels likely ahead and renewed chatter around another Terminator project. As for Alien, the machine keeps moving. Alien: Earth Season 2 is already in development, a sequel to Alien: Romulus is expected, and a new Alien vs. Predator movie appears to be waiting in the wings.
Cameron may be done with the franchise, but his comments are a reminder of why Aliens still holds such a powerful place in sci-fi history, and why the opening moments of Alien 3 remain one of the most divisive creative decisions in genre cinema.