In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s iconic horror film, 20th Century Fox is releasing six original films set in the Alien universe from a new generation of filmmakers.
These shorts were created in collaboration with Tongal, the online platform that connects online filmmakers with studios and brands to develop video content for digital platforms. Over 550 pitches were submitted for review but the final six stories were given access to storytelling elements, characters, and creatures, to add to the mythology of the Alien franchise.
The debut of the six shorts begins this week, with the first four screening at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on Friday 15th March, followed by C2E2 in Chicago on 23rd March. The final two shorts will be screened exclusively for fans at WonderCon on 30th March.
After these initial screenings, the shorts will be released weekly on the entertainment website IGN, starting on 29th March. Finally, starting on 3rd May, they will be available on the official @AlienAnthology social media channels and AlienUniverse.com – including exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Watch the trailer for the shorts here…
Below are the titles and synopses of the six short films:
ALIEN: Alone – Hope, an abandoned crew member aboard the derelict chemical hauler Otranto, has spent a year trying to keep her ship and herself alive as both slowly fall apart. After discovering hidden cargo, she risks it all to power up the broken ship in search of human life. Written and Directed by Noah Miller
ALIEN: Containment – Four survivors find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. Trying to piece together the details around the outbreak that led to their ship’s destruction, they find themselves unsure to trust whether or not one of them might be infected. Written and Directed by Chris Reading
ALIEN: Harvest – The surviving crew of a damaged deep-space harvester have minutes to reach the emergency evacuation shuttle. A motion sensor is their only navigation tool leading them to safety while a creature in the shadows terrorizes the crew. However, the greatest threat might have been hiding in plain sight all along. Directed by Benjamin Howdeshell
ALIEN: Night Shift – When a missing space trucker is discovered hungover and disoriented, his co-worker suggests a nightcap as a remedy. Near closing time, they are reluctantly allowed inside the colony supply depot where the trucker’s condition worsens, leaving a young supply worker alone to take matters into her own hands. Written and Directed by Aidan Breznick
ALIEN: Ore – As a hard-working miner of a planet mining colony, Lorraine longs to make a better life for her daughter and grandchildren. When her shift uncovers the death of a fellow miner under mysterious circumstances, Lorraine is forced to choose between escape or defying management orders and facing her fears to fight for the safety of her family. Written and Directed by the Spear Sisters
ALIEN: Specimen – It’s the night shift in a colony greenhouse, and Julie, a botanist, does her best to contain suspicious soil samples that have triggered her sensitive lab dog. Despite her best efforts the lab unexpectedly goes into full shutdown and she is trapped inside. Little does she know, an alien specimen has escaped the mysterious cargo, and a game of cat and mouse ensues as the creature searches for a host. Directed by Kelsey Taylor
