It’s rare in Hollywood to create a sequel to a movie that is held in as high if not higher regard than the original. It’s even rarer when the sequel in question is the predecessor to one of the best sci-fi films of all time, Ridley Scott’s Alien. However, that is precisely what James Cameron did with his third directorial effort, Aliens. While the 1986 follow-up didn’t ditch all of the original’s horror atmosphere and tension, it did jettison the slasher vibes. It also brought the series into full-blown visceral action movie territory while expanding the mythos of Ridley Scott’s world. But, it was not a foregone conclusion that Aliens would be a career-high for Cameron. As a matter of fact, according to the Avatar director, he was told the sequel would be a sure “career-ender” for him.
Empire set out to have the most epic interview to celebrate the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, which marks James Cameron’s first film in 13 years. The magazine asked Hollywood A-listers to ask the legendary filmmaker any question they have always wanted to ask him. Last Night In Soho director and film aficionado Edgar Wright asked the Titanic director if he had any trepidation about taking on the sequel to Alien. This question prompted Cameron to tell the story of the meeting with “bigshot” producers where he was told in no uncertain terms the project was a no-win for him. But the possibility of a ‘career-ender’ didn’t scare Cameron away from pursuing the vision he saw so clearly in his head. He said:
I had lunch with a bigshot producer when I was about to start Aliens who said, ‘This is a no-win for you. If your movie’s good, Ridley will get the credit. If it’s bad, it’s all you. It’s a career-ender.’ I said, ‘Yeah, buuuuuut… I like it.’ I was maybe a dumbass fanboy, but I could see it so clearly in my head that I just had to go make it.
Now, after almost 40 years, it’s obvious James Cameron was correct in chasing his vision. Aliens is a rare example of a sequel that lives up to the original movie while paving its own path. The second movie in the Xenomorph franchise is the gold standard and benchmark every Alien follow-up has tried and, ultimately, failed to live up to. Ridley Scott tried to return to the series with the much-maligned Prometheus and Alien: Covenant but couldn’t bring the same magic seen in the first Cameron-helmed sequel. What can we say besides: never underestimate James Cameron’s vision?
There were many naysayers when The Terminator director announced his plans for following up his 2009 sci-fi epic, Avatar. But, his movie on the 2022 schedule, Avatar: The Way of Water, dropped at the tail end of the year, and the return to Pandora crossed $1.5 billion in total worldwide tickets sold, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year. After more than a decade of waiting, another Cameron-directed sequel has hit theaters–the second entry in what is planned to be a 5-film series–and shows no signs of slowing down at the box office anytime soon. It seems the filmmaker has enjoyed a healthy career of proving his detractors wrong, and making very good sequels.
You can check out Cameron’s latest sequel to crush it at the box office in theaters now, or perhaps you would instead like to check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to plan your next cinema experience.