Xenomorphs will always be the stars of the Alien franchise. However, the films’ human characters have often found themselves at the mercy of artificial intelligence as well. Androids have been a major staple of the series ever since the original installment bowed in 1979. And it looks like Noah Hawley’s upcoming Alien TV show will carry on that tradition when it airs on FX next year.
Hawley is currently making the rounds promoting his latest novel, Anthem, which hit stores yesterday. But while speaking with Esquire, he touched on some of Alien’s world-building aspects. Namely, the role that A.I. will play in the story.
“It’s going great,” said Hawley. “It’s going slowly, unfortunately, given the scale of it. I’ve made a certain business out of reinvention. Alien is a fascinating story because it’s not just a monster movie; it’s about how we’re trapped between the primordial past and the artificial intelligence of our future, where both [are] trying to kill us. It’s set on Earth of the future. At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla. Someone’s going to monopolize electricity. We just don’t know which one it is.”
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As has been the case with most other Alien projects, the new series should feature some impressive action sequences. Regardless, Hawley wants to give viewers more than that. He also outlined how important it is for the series to have a message. Luckily, he’s proven himself capable of delivering on this front on earlier shows like Fargo and Legion.
“In the movies, we have this Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which is clearly also developing artificial intelligence,” continued Hawley. “But what if there are other companies trying to look at immortality in a different way, with cyborg enhancements or transhuman downloads? Which of those technologies is going to win? It’s ultimately a classic science fiction question: does humanity deserve to survive? As Sigourney Weaver said in that second movie, ‘I don’t know which species is worse. At least they don’t f**k each other over for a percentage.’ Even if the show was 60% of the best horror action on the planet, there’s still 40% where we have to ask, ‘What are we talking about it, beneath it all?’ Thematically, it has to be interesting. It’s humbling to get to play with the iconography of this world.”
Alien will premiere on FX sometime in 2023.
Are you excited to see what Hawley comes up with? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Making of Alien
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