Here in the States, we’ve reached the month mark since Alien Covenant burst (It’s law I have to use an Alien pun. I have no regrets) its way into cinemas. It has been anything but a smooth ride for Fox and the fans. But it also has been anything but boring. Let’s explore some of the insanity shall we?

This was the first Alien movie in which I experienced the entire process through social media and fandom.  I had wondered what it was like.  Now I have an idea. Unfortunately, Alien Covenant has been an extremely divisive movie. There was a strong voice of those who absolutely hated the movie and wanted nothing to do with anymore Ridley Scott involved Alien movies, as well a passionate group who enjoyed it and couldn’t quite understand why the venom was so strong against it. The passion is good to see, but it got out of hand. We all want what we think is best for the franchise, but there is no need for personal insults because someone disagrees on your opinions of Covenant. It was quite a jarring experience, as I felt a large portion of the fan base got more enjoyment out of the negativity. I’ll be honest folks, I could care less if Alien Resurrection or Aliens is your favorite of the franchise. I’m happy to have you all aboard. Sorry to get on my soap box, but my Weyland-Yutani programming won’t allow me to harm, or by omission of action allow to be harmed, a human being.

The mixed reviews have led to a financial flop here. I Don’t think I heard of anyone telling me about a sold out show. The two showings I attended had a very sparse audience. After an expensive media blitz, this can’t make Fox happy. And speaking of such: Dear Fox, STOP GIVING AWAY ENTIRE MOVIES IN TRAILERS! Especially in movies that are of the thriller/horror variety. So many key scenes were ruined due to being hinted at or shown in the trailers. It completely ruins any possible tension when we know what’s going to happen. I also regret not leaving the theater after seeing Alien on Alien Day. The Backburster scene would’ve been far more effective without its full revelation. None of this saves the movie from its flaws, but it’s a better experience in the end. Less is more.

So now what? Ridley Scott had this grand vision of multiple prequels leading into Alien, but does he still get that opportunity now? Fox gave Ridley the keys to the car and he promptly lost control and drove off the mountain into a gigantic woodchipper. Ridley Scott will forever be one of my favorite directors, but control needs to be taken away from him at this point. Let him build better worlds and conduct beautiful visuals but that’s it. With Neil Blomkamp’s Alien 3.5 dead, the future is seemingly in limbo. I have a feeling Ridley will get one more movie and that’s it. Who knows how much control he’ll have over it.

One can only hope from here we receive a product that makes everyone happy. Should Covenant been marketed as a Prometheus sequel instead? is the Alien name no longer synonymous with the public in 2017? Whatever happens next needs to have an impact. Most of these points have been hammered home repeatedly by now, but it’s something Fox needs to see. They need to figure the right thing to do with the Alien franchise. Hopefully, we’ll get there soon. Until next time, as always, stay frosty…