Ridley Scott: ‘Alien: Covenant’ Is a ‘Thinking Man’s Scary Movie’ – Variety

Ridley Scott has one goal with his new movie, Alien: Covenant.

Im hoping to scare the st out of you, says the legendary director. If I dont, Im in trouble.

If the past 40 years are any indication, the odds are in Scotts favor. Since entering the movie game later in life he was 40 when his debut feature The Duellists came out in 1977 Scott has been taking audiences on wild rides with such films as Alien, its prequel Prometheus and, most recently, with the Academy Award-nominated blockbuster The Martian. Along the way, hes racked up four Oscar nominations, won two Emmy Awards and landed a permanent place in the film zeitgeist with groundbreaking movies including Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise and Gladiator.

This week, Scott will earn another honor when his hands and feet are encased in cement outside the Chinese Theatre on May 17. Though Scott has created unimaginable worlds on film, he cant quite fathom this particular accolade. Youre always in awe when something like that happens, he says. Its wonderful. Theres no other word for it.

Its something Scott never could have imagined when he first set foot on the famous sidewalk in 1960, particularly considering he had no intention of entering the movie business. He was 22, fresh out of college and after working in New York for nine months, saved enough money to travel to L.A. on a Greyhound bus.

One of the big deals for me was to come to Hollywood, he says. I stayed in a boarding house nearby and walked to Hollywood Boulevard. I remember standing outside and staring at the footprints. Never, ever, would I have thought that this would happen.

After his Hollywood trip, Scott returned to his native England, where he forged a prominent career in advertising. He didnt return to L.A. until the age of 40, the same year he made Alien, which came out in 1979.

Life begins at 40, Scott chuckles. And Im still flying. Its bizarre, isnt it?

And flying high. In addition to Alien: Covenant, Scott is a producer on this years Blade Runner 2049, a sequel to his cult hit from 1982. His production company, Scott Free, also has the Watergate thriller Felt and Kenneth Branaghs Murder on the Orient Express due this year. On the TV side, Scott is a producer on The Man in the High Castle, Tom Hardys Taboo and The Good Fight, a spinoff of the hit The Good Wife.

With such a varied resume, can he pinpoint one common thread that makes a Ridley Scott movie? Not really, he says. My plan is: I have no plan. I tend to go from pillar to post, and Im one of those lucky guys who gets to do it.

One could say that a recurring theme in his movies is outsiders, from the rebels of Thelma and Louise to the heroes of Gladiator and The Martian. Concurs Scott, Theyre frequently more interesting people. Thats a sweeping statement, but loners are complex. Thats why theyre alone. And thats always an interesting study.

As an example he points to 2013s critically reviled The Counselor, in which Michael Fassbender plays a lawyer in over his head in the world of drug trafficking. I love that character and find him fascinating, he says. In fact, I love The Counselor, and I was so beaten up for that. Its one of my favorites. People complained it was nihilistic of course it is! But nihilisms OK. So was Apocalypse Now, so was The Godfather, for Gods sake.

And The Counselor features a stunning performance from Fassbender, which brings us to another commonality in his movies: standout performances. Since building a flawless ensemble headed by Sigourney Weaver in Alien, his movies are often perfectly cast and under his watch, such actors as Russell Crowe, Matt Damon and Geena Davis have given some of the best work of their impressive careers. I take a lot of time casting because if I cast properly, theyll take care of me, he notes. Im quite lazy, really.

He adds that he has a deep admiration for actors. I love them all. They really reveal and expose themselves in a way I would never dare do.

Its to his advantage to work with the same actors over and over again hes collaborated with Crowe five times and Fassbender three. Youve done the dancing, you can get to the heart of the matter much quicker. And you can say what you think, as opposed to being polite.

Of course, actors in his films sometimes meet untimely ends. For someone who loves his actors so much, does he ever feel bad killing them off? Nah, he says without hesitation. They love it.

As do audiences, who are expected to line up to watch the fates of the cast of Alien: Covenant, which includes Fassbender, Danny McBride and Katherine Waterston.

Scott says the sequel to Prometheus will be even darker. When I decided to resurrect the story, I felt I couldnt let it go so dark so soon. When we did Prometheus, it was a more genteel way of easing back into it.

While acknowledging that there was some terrifying material in that film, he says that this ones quite tough. Its definitely an R, dont show the kids. I decided I better nail this one, so I did.

That said, Covenant is a thinking mans scary movie, Scott says, tackling questions raised in Prometheus about who would create these creatures and why.

All those things are answered: Why and to what purpose they exist, he says. Im scared about getting highbrow, but it raises questions of creationism and all that.

Intellectual themes aside, Scott promises the movie will still be terrifying. He admits that in todays seen-it-all age, it can be difficult to find new ways to scare audiences. Its the hardest thing to do, he says. Comedians will disagree, but I think its easier to make people laugh than to really, really scare the s out of somebody. Weve seen so much, we get a little bit numb to what should be scary. Im not sure thats a good thing.

When it comes to the Alien franchise, the only thing Scott doesnt hesitate to discuss is how hed like to make more. I think were relatively confident well do pretty good, and its already in the works.

But first, hes in the throes of All the Money in the World, the real-life story of the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Gettys grandson, John Paul Getty III. Kevin Spacey will portray the senior Getty. Says Scott: The film will focus on the three months where he nearly lost his grandson to kidnappers. Its those three months that are very interesting quite shocking, really.

And after that? Scott takes a moment to muse, before simply responding: Well, hopefully, Ill keep getting employed.

Tipsheet What: Ridley Scott imprint ceremony When: 2 p.m. May 17 Where: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood Web: tclchinesetheatres.com/imprint-ceremonies

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Ridley Scott: 'Alien: Covenant' Is a 'Thinking Man's Scary Movie' - Variety