Ridley Scott Shares Initial Reaction to 'Alien: Romulus' at the Film's Premiere | THR Video - video Dailymotion

The Hollywood Reporter

Ridley Scott shares the notes he gave to director Fede Álvarez, after he was shown the first cut of 'Alien: Romulus.' Scott also compares Paul Mescal's immediate casting in 'Gladiator II' to that of Sigourney Weaver.

Transcript

00:00Fede Alvarez has said that he showed you the movie before anyone else.

00:03What did you tell him? What was your first reaction to seeing the film?

00:06Well, I was hugely relieved that it was potentially a huge film.

00:11And I just said, you don't have to take a note, but I'll tell you what I think.

00:16And instead of talking, I sit down and write notes.

00:19Then he reads them privately, kicks the wall, punches the door,

00:23and then comes back and says, they were good notes.

00:26And from that, I was impressed he took on board.

00:31Mostly directors tend to make it too long.

00:35It was long, and so you don't want to lose your dynamic.

00:39So the dynamics in this kind of movie are everything.

00:42But he had so much going on, he didn't need so much. That was it.

00:46Can you share how long the first cut was?

00:48No.

00:50How did you know he was the right person to direct this movie?

00:54Anyone has to qualify.

00:57You don't give this to a starter, because you can get eaten alive by the studio.

01:02Where's the studio? The studio will eat you alive.

01:05What are you doing?

01:07People have no idea what it is to be a director starting on your first movie

01:11with everybody telling you what to do.

01:13Talking about too many cooks in the kitchen, you're kidding me.

01:16And you've got to actually say, stand back.

01:19How is this film a return to the roots of the Alien franchise?

01:23Well, you know, people forget a unique monster is maybe,

01:29this maybe, from H.R. Giger, is maybe the most unique monster in history.

01:36I say that because I came across him through Dan O'Bannon.

01:41Dan had written the screenplay.

01:43He said, look at this guy.

01:45I looked at a book called Necronomicon and opened the pages and went, that's it.

01:50And he said, no, there's other things.

01:52That was the one. That became Alien.

01:54On the third page in Necronomicon, he had to fly to Switzerland to meet Giger,

01:59who wouldn't fly because he was scared to death of flying.

02:02Had to put him on a train and bring him to London.

02:04And without him, you wouldn't have this film tonight.

02:08And we're here for Alien today, but coming up you have Gladiator 2.

02:11How did you know Paul Meskel was the right person to lead that film?

02:14I'm good at that. That's how.

02:15I watch shit and I go, who's that guy?

02:18I'm good at it.

02:20Did you see him before he auditioned? How did you find him?

02:22No, no. They don't audition.

02:24I called and said, do you want to do it?

02:25They don't audition.

02:26You make a decision.

02:28Sigourney didn't read.

02:30Brad didn't read.

02:33That's it.

Ridley Scott Shares Initial Reaction to 'Alien: Romulus' at the Film's Premiere | THR Video

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