Recently, Alien: Romulus invaded theaters and dominated at the box office. Not only did the film succeed financially, but many fans saw it as a crucial return to form for the series. This sentiment amongst longtime fans has arisen due to the stagnation of the series in recent years. One of the biggest factors is the perceived failure of the prequel Prometheus and its sequel, Alien: Covenant. While both of these films received mixed reception, many saw both as having ruined the lore and tone of the franchise overall. Here is a breakdown of why Prometheus was a controversial addition to the Alien series. 

A Brief History of the ‘Alien’ Franchise

 Before Romulus and Prometheus, the Alien franchise was one of the most iconic sci-fi and horror series of all time. The series began in 1979 with the sleeper hit Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. Immediately, the film became a sci-fi classic. Critics lauded the film for its tense atmosphere, claustrophobic set design, and gripping lead performance from Sigourney Weaver. Of course, the most well-remembered element of the film was one of the most iconic monsters in cinematic history, the Xenomorph.  

Seven years later, the film received a sequel, Aliens, directed by box-office legend James Cameron. The film was heralded as one of the greatest sequels of all time for increasing the scale of the saga while sticking to what made it work in the first place. Two more sequels would arrive, Alien 3 and Resurrection. While they had their fans, their success wasn’t nearly as magnanimous as the first two films.

Since then, Alien spawned an entire franchise. Books, movies, comics, games, and other materials build out its world. One iconic example is a crossover with the Predator franchise for a showdown between the two sci-fi icons. Nearly two decades later, Ridley Scott attempted to revive the franchise and create an entire prequel trilogy. However, not all fans would end up agreeing with this direction.

A Brief History of the ‘Alien’ Franchise

 Before Romulus and Prometheus, the Alien franchise was one of the most iconic sci-fi and horror series of all time. The series began in 1979 with the sleeper hit Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. Immediately, the film became a sci-fi classic. Critics lauded the film for its tense atmosphere, claustrophobic set design, and gripping lead performance from Sigourney Weaver. Of course, the most well-remembered element of the film was one of the most iconic monsters in cinematic history, the Xenomorph.  

Seven years later, the film received a sequel, Aliens, directed by box-office legend James Cameron. The film was heralded as one of the greatest sequels of all time for increasing the scale of the saga while sticking to what made it work in the first place. Two more sequels would arrive, Alien 3 and Resurrection. While they had their fans, their success wasn’t nearly as magnanimous as the first two films.

Since then, Alien spawned an entire franchise. Books, movies, comics, games, and other materials building out its world. One of the more iconic examples being a crossover with the Predator franchise for a showdown between the two sci-fi icons. Nearly two decades later, Ridley Scott attempted to revive the franchise and create an entire prequel trilogy. However, not all fans would end up agreeing with this direction.

Ruining the Mystery and Tone of Alien  

In 2012, Ridley Scott directed his first Alien film since the original, Prometheus. The film told the story of scientific explorers investigating humanity’s origins, only to find something far worse. Its sequel, Covenant, followed several returning characters and built upon the lore established in the first film. While they did moderately well financially and critically by making $700 million combined, many fans disliked this new trajectory.

The first way Prometheus “ruins” the franchise is with the lore. In the original film, much of the horror surrounding the initial encounter with the crashed spaceship and the dead “space jockey” was the sheer mystery of the figure. The viewers didn’t know how old he was, where he came from, or how he came to be infected. The primal fear of the unknown and unseen fueled the Alien franchise. Prometheus, however, ditched that in favor of having the film outright tell the entire backstory of the pilot, his previous interactions with humanity, and having his race be the creators of both the Xenomorphs and humanity.

The next way the film betrays the larger saga is by ditching its iconic aesthetic. What gave Alien such a unique look was its timeless technological visual style. The way the film combined worn-out industrial corridors with 1970s computers and sound effects aged beautifully over the years. The 2012 film instead chose a modern, clean aesthetic with sterile hallways, advanced machinery, and holographic screens identical to any other sci-fi blockbuster from that time. This was especially out of place, given that the film was a prequel to the original saga. 

Ultimately, Prometheus and Covenant failed the Alien saga by turning it into something it was not: a space opera. Alien is a horror franchise, first and foremost, dealing with cramped, hellish stations and the dangers of corporate greed. By “pulling back the sheets” on the lore, it inevitably took away what made the story so compelling.