Ridley Scott confirms that a ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Alien’ TV series are in development
Director Ridley Scott has confirmed that live-action television series of two of his most enduring classic science fiction movies, Blade Runner and Alien, are currently in development, with pilots already written for both shows.
Speaking with the BBC on Monday (Nov. 22), on the set of his current project House of Gucci, Scott said that a Blade Runner adaptation is being plotted as a 10-episode series.
"We've already written the pilot for Blade Runner... and Alien has now been written for pilot"
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 22, 2021
Director Ridley Scott, says the Blade Runner and Alien TV shows are in development and they are putting together the 'bible' of both projectshttps://t.co/niPYpaHxfG #R4Today pic.twitter.com/4vTPGyZXtz
“We're already into having written the pilot for Blade Runner, and the bible," Scott said. "So already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, which should probably be the first 10 hours.”
The director added that Alien was getting a similar treatment. “Alien is a similar thing. Alien is now being written for pilot."
The “bible” that Scott refers to is the plan that producers put together to detail the world of a TV show beyond what's in the scripts, of what transpires in 8-10 hours of the show.
News of a new Alien television series based on the 1979 science fiction horror space film starring Sigourney Weaver was first announced in December 2020.
The show, which will focus on class warfare with Xenomorphs set on Earth, is being set up for the FX Channel with Noah Hawley, who previously adapted Fargo for TV, attached as showrunner.
don’t let your chests burst in anticipation https://t.co/FFu8Wj7BtB
— FX Networks (@FXNetworks) December 10, 2020
However, it’s the first time we’re hearing news of a television adaptation of the 1982 Blade Runner film starring Harrison Ford. The director did not provide additional details on who's involved with the upcoming series adaptation or how it will tie into his original movie or the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, directed by Denis Villeneuve which was released in 2017.
In other related news, an animated series based on the iconic movie, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, premiered on Adult Swim and Crunchyroll earlier this month.
Additionally, the 1997 point-and-click adventure game Blade Runner developed by Westwood Studios is currently being remastered for consoles and PC. So it looks like fans of the pioneering neo-noir dystopian science fiction franchise have plenty to look forward to in the future.