Sulaco (fictional Spacecraft)
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''Aliens'' is a 1986
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
written and directed by
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, who resides in New Zealand. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a Classical Hollywood cinema, classical filmmaking styl ...
. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film '' Alien'', and the second film in the ''Alien'' franchise. Set in the far future, it stars
Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra ( ; born October 8, 1949), better known by her stage name Sigourney Weaver, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in Blockbuster (entertainme ...
as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate. Michael Biehn,
Paul Reiser Paul Reiser (; born March 30, 1956) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He played the roles of Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom ''My Two Dads'', Paul Buchman in the NBC sitcom ''Mad About You'', Modell in the 1982 film ''Diner (1982 f ...
, Lance Henriksen, and Carrie Henn are featured in supporting roles. Despite the success of ''Alien'', its sequel took years to develop due to lawsuits, a lack of enthusiasm from
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
, and repeated management changes. Although relatively inexperienced, Cameron was hired to write a story for ''Aliens'' in 1983 on the strength of his scripts for '' The Terminator'' (1984) and '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985). The project stalled again until new Fox executive Lawrence Gordon pursued a sequel. On an approximately $18.5million budget, ''Aliens'' began
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
in September 1985 and concluded in January 1986. The film's development was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at Pinewood Studios. The difficult shoot affected the composer,
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside tr ...
, who was given little time to record the music. ''Aliens'' was released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim. Reviewers praised its action, but some criticized the intensity of certain scenes. Weaver's performance garnered consistent praise along with those of Bill Paxton and
Jenette Goldstein Jenette Elise Goldstein (born February 4, 1960) is an American actress. Known for her collaborations with director James Cameron, she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, Saturn Award for her portrayal of List of Alien (franchise) char ...
. The film received several awards and nominations, including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for Best Actress for Weaver at a time when the science-fiction genre was generally overlooked. It earned $131.1–183.3million during its theatrical run, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 worldwide. ''Aliens'' is now considered among the greatest films of the 1980s, and among the best science fiction, action, and sequel films ever made, often deemed equal to or better than ''Alien''. It is credited with expanding the franchise's scope with additions to the series' backstory and factions such as the Colonial Marines. It inspired a variety of merchandise, including video games, comic books and toys. It was followed by two sequels: '' Alien 3'' (1992) and '' Alien Resurrection'' (1997) and a prequel film, '' Alien: Romulus'' (2024).


Plot

Ellen Ripley has been in stasis for 57 years aboard a shuttlecraft after destroying her spaceship, the ''Nostromo'', to escape an alien creature that slaughtered her crew. Ripley is rescued and debriefed by her Weyland-Yutani Corporation employers who doubt her claim about alien eggs in a derelict ship on the exomoon LV-426, now the site of a terraforming colony. After contact is lost with the colony, Weyland-Yutani representative Carter Burke and Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman ask Ripley to accompany them to investigate. Still traumatized by her alien encounter, she agrees on condition that they exterminate the creatures. Ripley meets the Colonial Marines aboard the spaceship ''Sulaco'' but distrusts their android,
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
, because the ''Nostromo''s android, Ash, had betrayed its crew to protect the alien on company orders. A dropship lands the crew on LV-426, where they find the battle-ravaged colony and two live alien facehuggers in containment tanks. The only colonist found is a traumatized young girl nicknamed Newt. The team locates the other colonists' signals beneath the fusion-powered atmosphere processing station and heads to their location, descending into corridors covered in alien secretions. At the station's center, the marines discover opened eggs, dead facehuggers, and cocooned colonists serving as incubators for the alien embryos. The marines kill a newborn alien after it bursts through a colonist's chest, rousing several adult aliens who ambush the marines, killing or capturing many. When the inexperienced Gorman panics, Ripley assumes command and rams their
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
into the nest to rescue Corporal Dwayne Hicks, and Privates Hudson and Vasquez. Hicks orders the dropship to recover the survivors, but a stowaway alien kills the pilots, causing the dropship to crash into the station. Low on ammunition and resources, the survivors barricade themselves inside the colony facility. Ripley discovers that Burke ordered the colonists to investigate the derelict spaceship containing the alien eggs, intending to profit by recovering them for
biological weapon Biological agents, also known as biological weapons or bioweapons, are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and Toxin#Biotoxins, biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,2 ...
research. Before she can expose Burke, Bishop reports that the dropship crash damaged the power plant's cooling system, and it will soon overheat and explode, destroying the colony. Bishop volunteers to travel to the colony transmitter and remotely pilot the remaining dropship to the surface. Asleep in the medical lab, Ripley and Newt awaken to find themselves trapped with the two released facehuggers. Ripley triggers a fire alarm to alert the marines, who rescue them and kill the creatures. She accuses Burke of releasing the facehuggers to implant her and Newt with alien embryos to smuggle them through Earth's quarantine. The power is suddenly cut, and aliens attack through the ceiling. In the ensuing firefight, the aliens kill Burke, subdue Hudson, and injure Hicks; the cornered Gorman and Vasquez sacrifice themselves to avoid capture. Newt is separated from Ripley and taken by the creatures. Ripley takes Hicks to the dropship but refuses to abandon Newt and arms herself before descending into the processing station hive alone to rescue her. During their escape, they encounter the alien queen amid dozens of eggs. When one opens, Ripley burns the eggs and blows up the queen's
ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...
. Pursued by the enraged queen, Ripley and Newt reach the dropship and escape with Bishop and an unconscious Hicks moments before the station explodes, consuming the colony in a nuclear blast. Aboard the ''Sulaco'', the queen, stowed away in the dropship's landing gear, attacks the group. The queen rips Bishop in half and advances on Newt, but Ripley battles the creature using an exosuit cargo loader, expelling it into space through an airlock while the damaged Bishop shields Newt. Ripley, Newt, Hicks, and Bishop then enter hypersleep for their return trip to Earth.


Cast

*
Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra ( ; born October 8, 1949), better known by her stage name Sigourney Weaver, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in Blockbuster (entertainme ...
as Ellen Ripley: the survivor of an alien attack on her ship, the ''Nostromo'' * Michael Biehn as Dwayne Hicks: a corporal in the Colonial Marines *
Paul Reiser Paul Reiser (; born March 30, 1956) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He played the roles of Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom ''My Two Dads'', Paul Buchman in the NBC sitcom ''Mad About You'', Modell in the 1982 film ''Diner (1982 f ...
as Carter J. Burke: a Weyland-Yutani Corporation representative * Lance Henriksen as
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
: an android aboard the ''Sulaco'' * Carrie Henn as Rebecca "Newt" Jorden: a young girl in the colony on LV-426 * Bill Paxton as Hudson: a boastful but panicky Colonial Marine private * William Hope as Gorman: the Marines' inexperienced
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
* Ricco Ross as Frost: a private in the Colonial Marines * Al Matthews as Apone: the Marines' cool-headed Sergeant The Colonial Marine cast includes privates Vasquez (
Jenette Goldstein Jenette Elise Goldstein (born February 4, 1960) is an American actress. Known for her collaborations with director James Cameron, she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, Saturn Award for her portrayal of List of Alien (franchise) char ...
), Drake ( Mark Rolston), Spunkmeyer ( Daniel Kash), Crowe ( Tip Tipping), and Wierzbowski ( Trevor Steedman), and corporals Dietrich (Cynthia Dale Scott) and Ferro ( Colette Hiller). In addition to the main cast, ''Aliens'' features Paul Maxwell as Van Leuwen (a member of the board reviewing Ripley's competence) and Barbara Coles as the cocooned colonist killed when an alien bursts from her chest. Carl Toop and Eddie Powell portray alien warriors. Some scenes removed from ''Aliens''s theatrical version were restored in subsequent releases. Additional credits for these scenes include Newt's father, Russ Jorden ( Jay Benedict), and her mother Anne (Holly de Jong). Henn's brother, Christopher, plays her brother Timmy, Mac McDonald portrays colony administrator Al Simpson, and Weaver's mother, Elizabeth Inglis, makes a cameo appearance as Ripley's elderly daughter Amanda.


Production


Early development

The success of '' Alien'' (1979) led to immediate discussions of a sequel, but the production company Brandywine Productions struggled to convince
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
to make it. Studio president Alan Ladd Jr. was supportive of the project but left Fox to found the Ladd Company, and his replacement, Norman Levy, was concerned about the cost of producing an ''AlienII''. Brandywine co-founder
David Giler David Kevin Giler (July 23, 1943 – December 19, 2020) was an American filmmaker who had been active in the film industry since the early 1960s. Career Television Giler's father Bernie (1908–1967) was a writer. Giler began his career collabor ...
said Levy believed a sequel would be a "disaster". Fox executives believed ''Alien''s success was a fluke, and that it had not generated enough profit or audience interest to warrant a sequel. Box-office returns for horror films were also declining. Progress was further slowed when Giler and Brandywine co-founders
Walter Hill Walter Hill (born January 10, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer known for his action films and revival of the Western (genre), Western genre. He has directed such films as ''The Driver'', ''The Warriors (film), The ...
and Gordon Carroll sued Fox for unpaid profits from ''Alien''. Using Hollywood accounting methods, Fox had declared ''Alien'' a financial loss despite its earnings of over $100million against a $9–$11million budget. Brandywine's lawsuit was settled by early 1983, the result being that Fox would finance the development of ''AlienII'', but was not required to distribute the film. Levy's eventual replacement, Joe Wizan, was receptive to a sequel, and although other executives remained noncommittal, Giler's development executive, Larry Wilson, began looking for a scriptwriter by mid-1983. Wilson came across the script for the in-development science fiction film, '' The Terminator'' (1984), written by
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, who resides in New Zealand. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a Classical Hollywood cinema, classical filmmaking styl ...
. With Cameron's collaborative scriptwriting efforts alongside
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
on '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985), Wilson was convinced to show the script for ''The Terminator'' to Giler, Hill, and Carroll. In November 1983, Cameron submitted a 42-page film treatment for ''AlienII''—written in three days—based on Giler and Hill's suggestion of "Ripley and soldiers". The studio had a mixed reaction, one executive calling it a constant stream of horror without character development. Negotiations to sell the sequel rights to '' Rambo'' developers Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna failed and the project stalled again.


Revival

By July 1984, Lawrence Gordon had replaced Wizan. With few projects in development, Gordon looked at sequels to Fox's existing properties and came across the ''AlienII'' treatment; he said he was surprised that no one had pursued it. Production of ''The Terminator'' was delayed for nine months because
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
was contractually obligated to film '' Conan the Destroyer'' (1984). Cameron used the time to develop his treatment, expanding it to ninety pages. He drew ideas from "Mother", one of his story concepts about an alien on a space station involving a power-loader suit. Because of his low expectations for ''The Terminator'', Cameron had spent much of his free time during its production developing and trying out ideas for ''AlienII''. This script was better received by Fox executives and Gordon, but Cameron also wanted to direct the project. Cameron was a relatively new director, his only directing credit being '' Piranha II: The Spawning'' (1982), a low-budget, independent horror film, and the studio was reluctant to grant his request. His credibility was elevated following the surprise financial and critical success of ''The Terminator'' in late 1984, and Gordon gave him the job. Cameron's associates tried to persuade him to reject the offer, believing anything good about the film would be attributed to ''Alien'' director
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...
and anything negative to Cameron. Scott said he was never offered the chance to direct the sequel, possibly because he was difficult to work with on the original. The title ''Aliens'' reportedly came from Cameron writing "Alien" on a whiteboard during a pitch meeting and adding a "$" suffix. Cameron also wanted his collaborative partner and girlfriend, Gale Anne Hurd, to serve as the producer, but Fox did not take the request seriously, believing she could not stand up to Cameron, who believed she was the only person who would. Hurd had several industry associates contact Fox executives to convince them she was a legitimate producer. Cameron turned in the finished script in February 1985, hours before a Hollywood writer's strike. Cameron recalled the audience reactions while seeing ''Alien'' in the theater and believed it would be difficult to recreate the emotion and novelty of the original. He and Hurd agreed to combine the horror of ''Alien'' with the action of ''The Terminator''. According to Hill, Cameron said if the first film could be compared to a haunted attraction, ''Aliens'' should be like a roller coaster. Cameron believed in having a strong female heroine to distinguish his films from typical Hollywood action fare and wrote the script with a picture of Weaver on his desk. He referred to ''The Terminator'', and how he removed the normal protective forces from Sarah Connor so she had to fend for herself. Cameron had also always wanted to make a film about space
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
. The final script was well received, but Fox executives (including chairman
Barry Diller Barry Charles Diller (born February 2, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman. He is chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group and founded the Fox Broadcasting Company with Rupert Murdoch and USA Broadcasting. Diller was ind ...
) were concerned about the budget. Fox estimated the cost as close to $35million, but Hurd said it would be closer to $15.5million. Diller offered $12million, prompting Cameron and Hurd to quit. Gordon negotiated with Diller until he relented, and Cameron and Hurd returned. In April 1985, conflict turned to the cast; Fox did not want Weaver to return because they expected her to demand a high salary. Cameron and Hurd were insistent Weaver return as the solo star; Fox refused, saying they would damage the studio's negotiating power with Weaver's agent. Cameron and Hurd again left the project, marrying and going on a honeymoon. When they returned, the ''Aliens'' project was ready to move forward. Cameron credited Gordon with ''Aliens'' being greenlit.


Casting

Weaver rejected initial offers to return and despite being interested after reading Cameron's script, she had to be convinced ''Aliens'' was not being made exclusively for financial reasons. Weaver received a $1million (equivalent to $ in ) salary and a percentage of the box-office profits, the highest salary of her career at the time. Negotiations were so lengthy that Cameron and Hurd told Schwarzenegger's agent they intended to write Ripley out of the movie (knowing Weaver's agent would be told); terms were reached shortly afterward. Cameron wanted an unknown actor to portray Newt. Agents scouted Henn while she was at school in
Lakenheath Lakenheath is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It has a population of 4,691 according to the 2011 Census, and is situated close to the county boundaries of both Nor ...
, England, and though she lacked acting experience, Cameron said she had a "great face and expressive eyes". Stephen Lang auditioned for the role of Hicks, but James Remar secured the role on the recommendation of Hill, his close friend. Remar left shortly into filming, ostensibly due to urgent family matters or creative differences with Cameron, but he later admitted he was fired after being arrested for drug possession. Hurd hired Michael Biehn the following Friday. Paxton credited his casting as Hudson to a chance encounter with Cameron at
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
, during which he mentioned he would be interested in a role. Fox supported Paxton's casting because of positive feedback for his performance in '' Weird Science'' (1985). Paxton was worried the character would annoy audiences until he realized he was
comic relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
for the tense scenes. Henriksen was concerned about portraying Bishop after other recent successful portrayals of android characters, such as Ian Holm in ''Alien'' and
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
in '' Blade Runner'' (1982). He played Bishop as an innocent child who pities the short-lived humans. He suggested wearing distinctive contact lenses to convey when Bishop was alerted to danger, but Cameron believed they would make the character appear more frightening than the aliens. Biehn, Paxton, and Henriksen had worked with Cameron on ''The Terminator''. ''Aliens'' was Reiser's first major theatrical role, following small parts in films like '' Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984). The Colonial Marines cast features a mix of British and American actors who underwent three weeks of intensive training with the British
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
(SAS).
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
veteran Al Matthews (Apone) helped to train the actors, teaching them how to handle firearms properly because their blanks were still hazardous. Before he left, Remar accidentally shot a hole through the set of
Frank Oz Frank Richard Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), known professionally as Frank Oz, is an American puppeteer, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for his involvement with Jim Henson and George Lucas through ''The Muppets'', ''Sesame Street'', and '' ...
's '' Little Shop of Horrors'' on an adjacent stage. The training was intended to help the marine cast develop camaraderie and treat the other actors (Weaver, Reiser, and Hope) as outsiders. Biehn's late casting caused him to miss the training, and he said he regretted being unable to customize his armor like the other actors (since he inherited Remar's). Cameron created a distinct
backstory A backstory, background story, background, or legend is a set of events invented for a plot, preceding and leading up to that plot. In acting, it is the history of the character before the drama begins, and is created during the actor's prepara ...
for each marine and instructed the actors to read '' Starship Troopers'' so they would understand the space marine archetype. Vasquez was Goldstein's first feature-film role. She credited her physique to spending hours at the gym while unemployed, gaining at Cameron's request. Goldstein wore dark contact lenses and underwent an hour of makeup to cover her freckles and darken her white skin to portray a " Chicano" character; she studied Mexican-American gang interviews to develop her demeanor and accent. Ricco Ross (Frost) was committed to '' Full Metal Jacket'' (1987), whose filming schedule overlapped for a week with ''Aliens''. Although Cameron offered to let Ross join the filming later, Ross was concerned that
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
's projects often overran, and opted for ''Aliens'' instead. Rolston misled the filmmakers to get his part; he had finished filming ''
Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
'' (1985), and implied he was its most prominent actor after Al Pacino. William Hope (Gorman) was cast as Hudson before Cameron and Hurd decided to take the character in a different direction. Cynthia Dale Scott (Dietrich) was an aspiring singer when she was cast. Colette Hiller (Ferro) was upset she had to cut her hair short for the role because she was getting married shortly afterward, and made the filmmakers buy her a long, blonde wig. Trevor Steedman (Wierzbowski) was a stuntman rather than an actor, and ''Aliens'' was Daniel Kash's (Spunkmeyer) debut film role. He offered Cameron his coat if he got the part and also auditioned for Hudson. The actors stayed at the
Holiday Inn Holiday Inn by IHG is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division ...
in Langley, Berkshire, during filming. Paxton described the actors' time outside work positively: "God, we had the best time... We all hung very hard together. That's where I first met enriksen who I fell in love with. atthews.. was a really good spirit to have around, with a great voice. And all these hilarious British characters, like teedman the stuntman, who used to grab my bicep and go, 'Blimey, more meat on a cat's cock!


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in September 1985, on a 75-day schedule, and an $18.5million budget, not including film prints and marketing. Filming took place mainly at Pinewood Studios in
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
near
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, because of its large sets and the lower cost of filming in England. Filming was difficult as Cameron, a Canadian, had little familiarity with British film-industry traditions such as tea breaks, which interrupted production for up to an hour each weekday, and was frustrated at losing hours of filming every week. In his book ''The Making of Aliens'', J. W. Rinzler described Cameron as aggressive and certain of what he wanted, which irked the crew. The situation was exacerbated by Cameron's hands-on approach, often modifying setups such as lighting himself to fit his vision without involving the
unionized A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
crew. The crew was dismissive of Cameron for his relative inexperience, thinking he had not done enough to earn such a prominent position, and that Hurd had her job only because she was his partner. Cinematographer Dick Bush insisted on lighting the alien hive brightly (counter to Cameron's request), and was eventually replaced with Adrian Biddle. First assistant director Derek Cracknell also ignored Cameron's requests. Gale described the situation: " ameronwould ask him to set up a shot one way and racknellwould say, 'Oh no no no, I know what you want,'... Then he'd do it wrong and the whole set would have to be broken down." The situation deteriorated until Cameron and Hurd fired Cracknell and the Pinewood crew walked out in the middle of the day. Cameron called Fox for advice and was determined to move the production out of England until Hurd convinced him otherwise. The situation was tumultuous because the number of films simultaneously in production meant the crew could not be easily replaced. Cameron and Hurd gathered the crew to discuss their grievances; Cameron explained the importance of the production, and that any member of the crew who could not support it should volunteer to be replaced. The crew agreed to support Cameron if he supported their scheduled working hours. The relationship between filmmakers and crew remained cool; when filming concluded at Pinewood, Cameron told the crew: "This has been a long and difficult shoot, fraught by many problems... but the one thing that kept me going, through it all, was the certain knowledge that one day I would drive out the gate of Pinewood and never come back, and that you sorry bastards would still be here". He described most of the crew as "lazy, insolent, and arrogant". Paxton called the crew's work impeccable, but their attitude more relaxed than the American crews to which he was accustomed. The power plant and alien nest were filmed in the decommissioned Acton Lane Power Station in London, and the sets were left in place until
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
redressed the sets into interiors for Axis Chemicals during the filming of his 1989 film ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
''. While filming the dropship descent from the ''Sulaco'', shaking collapsed the set roof onto the cast and crew. Most of the cast were unharmed, but a large piece of debris hit Cameron in the head. Because of the tight budget, Hurd made Cameron pay for an early scene of a laser cutting Ripley free from her hypersleep chamber. According to Henriksen, Paxton was unaware he would be involved in the knife-trick scene until it was filmed; Henriksen nicked Paxton's finger during the reshoot. Some of the early establishing scenes were filmed near the end of principal photography to capture the bond that had developed between cast and characters. Some improvisation was encouraged. Weaver discussed tweaks to her character with Cameron on set, believing she understood how Ripley would act. Her line "Get away from her, you bitch!" had to be filmed in one take due to the tight schedule remaining, and the actress thought she had messed it up. Paxton believed he was not good at improvisation and discussed ideas with Cameron before filming. Hudson's signature line "Game over, man; game over!" originated from Paxton developing a backstory for the character, in which he was trained on simulators. Henn found it hard to act afraid of the aliens (since she was fond of the actors in the suits) and imagined a dog was chasing her. Other cast members spent time with Henn between scenes, including Weaver and Paxton (who would color or craft things with her). Biehn said he and Paxton spent much of their free time together. Despite the difficulties, Fox was satisfied with the daily footage, and principal photography concluded in January 1986, on time and on budget.


Post-production

Post-production began in late April 1986. Several scenes were removed from ''Aliens'' theatrical release, including Ripley learning about her daughter's death and a cocooned Burke begging her for death. Fox and Hurd suggested removing a long opening scene detailing the lives of the colonists, Newt's family discovering the derelict alien ship, and her father being attacked by a facehugger, because it ruined the pacing and sense of mystery. Two scenes with James Remar as Hicks (shown from the back) were used in the film. Ray Lovejoy was responsible for editing the final 137-minute cut of ''Aliens''. Fox wanted the film to be under two hours so it could be shown more times per day in theaters, increasing its revenue potential. Fox production president Scott Rudin flew to England to ask Cameron and Hurd if they could cut another 12 minutes, but Cameron was concerned further cuts would make it nonsensical, and Rudin relented.


Music

James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside tr ...
met Cameron early in their careers, when they worked for director
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
. ''Aliens'' was Horner and Cameron's first collaboration; Horner called it a "nightmare". He arrived in London to compose, expecting a six-week schedule. There was nothing for him to score, as Cameron was still filming and editing, and Horner had only three weeks to compose. The producers were unwilling to give him any more time, and he was booked to begin scoring '' The Name of the Rose'' (1986) shortly afterwards. Horner recorded the score at
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...
with the London Symphony Orchestra. His schedule was so tight that the music for the climactic battle between Ripley and the queen was written overnight. Cameron first heard the score while it was being recorded by the orchestra and did not like it, but it was too late to make changes. Brad Fiedel's synth-inspired tracks for ''The Terminator'' had allowed changes to be made quickly based on feedback, but Cameron had no experience managing orchestral music. Cameron cut the score up, using pieces where he believed they fit best, and inserted pieces of
Jerry Goldsmith Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
's ''Alien'' score and hired unknown composers to fill gaps. The director said in a later interview he thought the music was good, but did not fit the scenes he had filmed. Horner's "alien sting" sound was initially used only once, during the scene with the cocooned woman, as Cameron disliked it, but he eventually used it throughout the film. Unused portions of Horner's ''Aliens'' score were repurposed for ''
Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart (writer), Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, based on the 1979 novel ''Nothing Lasts Forever (Thorp novel), Nothing Lasts Forever'' by Roderick ...
'' (1988).


Special effects and design

Development of the special effects for ''Aliens'' began in May 1985, with John Richardson supervising a 40-person team at Stan Winston Studio. L.A. Effects Group created miniatures and optical effects. Cameron lacked contacts at the more established special effects studios and avoided using them because he believed his hands-on approach would not be welcomed. He also did not rehire many ''Alien'' crew members because he did not want to be restricted by their loyalties to the first film. Those who returned were often given a higher status (such as Crispian Sallis, ''Alien'' focus puller and ''Aliens'' set decorator). Cameron had enjoyed returning artist Ron Cobb's work on ''Alien'', and conceptual artist Syd Mead was recruited because Cameron was a fan of his work on films such as '' 2010: The Year We Make Contact'' (1984).


Sets and technology

Mead designed the ''Sulaco'', the marines' spaceship. He conceived it as a large sphere with antennae, but Cameron wanted it to be flatter; the full craft had to pass the camera, and a sphere would not work with the
aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...
. Mead designed the craft as a commercial freighter carrying a military unit. Its exterior was designed with a row of loading doors, a crane, and large gun fixtures to defend against threats. Mirrors were used as a cost-cutting measure to increase the number of sleeping pods and add a power loader. Cobb designed the dropship, the armored personnel carrier (APC), and exteriors of the colony and its vehicles. The ''Sulaco''s dropship was designed to be life-size, for use on the ''Sulaco'' set, but a smaller replica was used for some shots. The APC was a disguised pushback tug for a
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
. The derelict alien spacecraft used in ''Aliens'' had been in historian Bob Burns III's driveway since its appearance in ''Alien''. Most of the colony, apart from the main entrance used by the marines, was constructed in scale miniature form. The set was about long to accommodate the sixth-scale APC replica. The set was so large it had to be laid out diagonally across the stage, and forced perspective was used to add in buildings that would otherwise not fit. Cobb used a stylized design for the colony, resembling a western frontier town. It featured a makeshift construction from cargo containers, broken filming equipment, and beer crates. The alien nest scene was one of the earliest filmed; Weaver's participation was delayed by three weeks because of production issues on her previous film '' Half Moon Street'' (1986), and the scene was one of the few not involving her. The Acton Power Station location was filled with decaying
asbestos Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...
and three weeks were spent having it professionally cleaned, during which time the alien hive was fabricated in clay spawning hundreds of fiberglass and vacuum-formed castings that were installed at the station over a further three weeks. Cameron wanted to vertically pan as the marines entered the hive, but disguising the area above the marines would be time-intensive. A hanging miniature, about square, was made from plywood and styrofoam, hung just above the actors' heads, and carefully blended into the larger set. After Remar was replaced, Cameron wanted to reshoot the scene, but the miniature had been destroyed; he was able to edit the scene to conceal Remar. The marines' smart guns weighed , and were constructed from German MG 42 machine guns attached to a steadicam and augmented with motorcycle parts. Since getting in and out of the smart-gun rig was difficult, the actors kept them on when not filming. The pulse rifle was made from a Thompson submachine gun and a Franchi SPAS-12 pump-action shotgun in a futuristic shell. Weaver was opposed to weapons in general, but Cameron explained weapons were secondary to the core narrative of Ripley bonding with and protecting Newt. Weaver found using the weapons strange and difficult, due to their weight and her concern about pulling the wrong trigger. Automated sentry guns were also constructed for ''Aliens'', although they do not appear in the theatrical cut. Real machine guns were positioned atop remote-controlled hydraulic tripods that allowed them to pivot horizontally or vertically. The guns were capable of firing up to 600 wooden-blank rounds per minute that were shattered into small splinters by baffles in the muzzle and incinerated by the heat generated in the barrel. A cast was made of Henn's upper body and her stunt double's legs to construct a lightweight dummy for Weaver to hold when carrying a gun; Henn's weight plus a gun would have been too heavy. Goldstein had never handled a gun, and held her weapon incorrectly in closeups, so Hurd stood in for her. The flamethrowers were functional. The art department had covered the sets in an unspecified substance to artificially age them; the flamethrowers vaporized it, causing fire and heavy smoke. Goldstein struggled to breathe and, since improvisation was encouraged, Paxton thought she was acting until he also became breathless. The nuclear explosion of the colony in the finale was created by shining a light bulb through cotton. Reebok designer Taun Le was commissioned to design custom sneakers for Weaver to wear in the film. The only mandate was that they be laceless so one could easily slide off of Weaver's foot during the finale.


Creature effects

H. R. Giger, who designed the alien creature, was reportedly disappointed that he could not be involved in ''Aliens''. According to Hurd, Giger was contractually obligated to '' Poltergeist II: The Other Side'' (1986) and Fox was not allowed to negotiate with him. Giger was replaced by special-effects creator Stan Winston. Cameron also contributed to designs but was not as concerned with the warrior aliens because they were on screen only briefly. In redesigning the alien warriors, Cameron remained faithful to Giger's work while building on it. Conscious that the creatures would be seen by audiences as people in costumes, he enhanced the designs by extending their arms and often filmed them hung from wires or from atypical positions to make them appear more inhuman. The aliens were played by dancers and stuntmen in lightweight costumes that allowed them to move quickly. Several mannequins were used for aliens that were contorted into inhuman poses. Although hordes of alien creatures appear to be in the film, there were only 12 alien suits: simple black leotards covered in molded foam were used for faster-moving shots, and detailed models with articulated upper bodies and mouths for closeups. When the aliens were shot and destroyed, puppets were hung up and detonated. The aliens' acidic blood was a combination of
titanium tetrachloride Titanium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is an important intermediate in the production of titanium metal and the pigment titanium dioxide. is a volatile liquid. Upon contact with humid air, it forms thick clouds o ...
, cyclohexylamine,
acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...
and yellow dye. The facehugger design remained faithful to the original ''Alien'' design, but the overall appearance was made to appear more organic, and its eight legs were made more finger-like, enhancing the detail on the knuckles and adding fingernails. Unlike in ''Alien'', which only involved one substantial jumping scene, the facehugger models used in ''Aliens'' featured full articulation for their tongue, legs, and tail, allowing for more action set pieces. The tail was also lengthened about to give it more functions such as a whip-like action. Nine operators were required for the fully articulated facehugger; other less-detailed variants were used for simple actions such as scurrying across the floor. The design team struggled with making it scuttle believably while moving the appendages; they eventually developing a control wire along the floor that activated a gear inside it, causing the appendages to move as it was pulled along. Several rubber facehuggers were made to be thrown or blown up. Manipulating the facehugger inside a water tank was also difficult as the tank had to be watertight, limiting the use of control cables. A method was developed that required fewer cables to move the facehugger around the tank; the tail was fitted with a spring that caused it to snap back and forth. Winston added arms to the chestburster alien form (since the adult form had arms), explaining how it could drag itself out of a host's chest. Two chestburster puppets were used: a reinforced one, and an articulated one for movement. A puppeteer punched the former through a fabricated latex-foam chest; the scene took several takes to film because it could not pierce the clothing. A deleted scene in ''Alien'' established a life cycle for the alien creatures in which a lifeform would be cocooned and transformed into an egg that birthed a facehugger. Inspired by a
beehive A beehive is an enclosed structure which houses honey bees, subgenus '' Apis.'' Honey bees live in the beehive, raising their young and producing honey as part of their seasonal cycle. Though the word ''beehive'' is used to describe the nest of ...
-like hierarchy, Cameron believed the vast field of eggs on the derelict alien craft would come from a much larger creature, the queen, with the other alien creatures serving as her drones. Winston described Cameron's initial queen design as a combination of a
praying mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate ...
and ''
Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...
'' influenced by the alien warrior design. Cameron said
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
influences were unintentional as he considered them "boring"; his goal was to extrapolate on Giger's warrior designs to create a large and powerful creature that was also swift and overtly female, describing it as "hideous and beautiful at the same time, like a black widow spider". The queen has elongated, large forelimbs, with smaller secondary ones underneath, but Winston redesigned the legs by adding a double joint to make it more inhuman. Cameron and Winston worked on several concepts to vivify the queen, including large puppets, miniatures, and costumes with several people inside. A frame was built large enough to hold two people, covered in black polythene bags, and hung on a crane. The prototype was a success, and Cameron wrote the alien-queen scene. The final alien queen was a puppet made of lightweight polyurethane foam. Two people sat inside to control the arms; the legs were controlled by rods connected at the ankles, and a separate person whipped the tail around with fishing line. The head was manipulated with a combination of
servomotor A servomotor (or servo motor or simply servo) is a rotary or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position, velocity, and acceleration in a mechanical system. It constitutes part of a servomechanism, and consi ...
s and hydraulics controlled by up to four people. The effect was hidden by lighting, steam, slime, and smoke. The Stan Winston Studio had not used hydraulics and considered them a learning experience. They were essential for moving larger parts of the queen puppet, including the head, and a foot pedal in the body could hydraulically move the tail up and down. Shane Mahan took several weeks to sculpt the head by sight, based on a
maquette A ''maquette'' is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture or work of architecture. The term is a loanword from French. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', a diminutive of the Italian word for a sketch. Sculpture A maquette ...
; computer technology to scale up the model's design did not yet exist. Two heads were built: a lightweight, fragile one; and another that could survive some damage. Each was articulated with hydraulics and cables to control the queen's mouth and lips. To create the effect of the queen piercing Bishop's chest with her tail, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis constructed a chestplate for Henriksen with a rubber segment of the queen's tail flattened against it. The tail was pulled forward by wire, apparently exploding through Bishop's torso. A rigid piece of tail, attached to a body harness, was used to show more of the tail moving through Bishop, and Henriksen was levered upward as if he was being lifted by the tail. To complete the effect, a dummy of Bishop was constructed with a spring-loaded mechanism that forcibly separated his upper and lower body, as if the queen had ripped him in half. Once separated, Henriksen's upper body was below the set and a fake torso attached up to his shoulders. The android blood was milk, and after several days of filming, it was sour and foul-smelling. John Richardson designed the mechanical power loader exosuit, with input from Mead. As with the queen, a prototype was built out of wood and polythene bags stuffed with newspaper to see how the movement would work. The finished design was so cumbersome that stuntman John Lees, in a black skinsuit, operated it from behind. The battle between the queen and power loader was extensively choreographed, as Weaver risked serious injury battling a large, unwieldy animatronic. The camera was sometimes moved to simulate subjects moving faster. The scene of the queen running at Ripley was one of the more difficult shots; the wires and rods had to be concealed, since they could not be removed in post-production. Miniatures were used for parts of the scene with go motion, a version of
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
with
motion blur Motion blur is the apparent streaking of moving objects in a photograph or a sequence of frames, such as a film or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single exposure, due to rapid movement or l ...
added.


Release


Context

The 1986 summer film season began in mid-May. The season had been starting earlier each year as studios attempted to beat each other with their biggest films. Fifty-five films were scheduled for release between May and September, including the action drama '' Top Gun'' and the comedic '' Sweet Liberty'', but the season was not expected to break financial records due to fewer sequels, anticipated blockbusters, and films by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
or starring popular comedians that had dominated the earlier half of the decade. Some industry experts also blamed the burgeoning home-video market, which had grown from 7million rentals in 1983 to 58million by 1985. Films expected to do well were aimed at younger audiences and featured comedy or horror, such as '' Back to School'', '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', and '' SpaceCamp''. Some films targeted at adults were also seen as potential successes, including '' Legal Eagles'', '' Ruthless People'', and ''
Cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
''. ''Aliens'' was seen by industry professionals as a potential sleeper hit based on positive industry word-of-mouth during filming, enthusiastic industry screenings, and favorable pre-release reviews. The film's success was considered dependent on its ability to attract audiences outside the young males and
blue-collar worker A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labour, manual labor or Tradesman, skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, Warehouse, warehousing, mining, ...
s typical for the genre. The tagline was, "This time, it's war".


Box office

''Aliens'' began a wide release in the United States (U.S.) and Canada on July18, 1986. During its opening weekend, the film earned $10.1million from 1,437 theaters—an average of $6,995 per theater. It was the weekend's number-one film, ahead of the martial-arts drama '' The Karate Kid Part II'' ($5.6million in its fifth weekend) and the black comedy ''Ruthless People'' ($4.5million in its fourth weekend). Based on its opening-five-day total ($13.4million), ''Aliens'' exceeded Fox's expectations and was anticipated to become the summer's top film, surpassing ''The Karate Kid Part II'', ''Back to School'', and ''Top Gun''. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' reported long lines to see ''Aliens'', even on weekday afternoons. The film retained the number-one position in its second weekend with an additional gross of $8.6million, ahead of the debuting ''
Heartburn Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind the breastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, citrus, onion-based and tomato-based products. Ly ...
'' ($5.8million) and ''The Karate Kid Part II'' ($5million). ''Aliens'' remained the number-one film of its third weekend with a gross of $7.1million, ahead of the debuts of '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' ($6.8million) and the '' Howard the Duck'' ($5.1million). The film fell to third place in its fifth weekend with a gross of $4.30million, behind the debuts of '' The Fly'' ($7million) and '' Armed and Dangerous'' ($4.33million). ''Aliens'' was one of the top ten highest-grossing films for 11 weeks. By the end of its theatrical run, ''Aliens'' had grossed about $85.1million. This figure made it the year's seventh highest-grossing film, behind ''Back to School'' ($91.3million), science-fiction film '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' ($109.6million), ''The Karate Kid Part II'' ($115.1million), war film ''
Platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
'' (138.5million), action comedy '' Crocodile Dundee'' ($174.8million) and ''Top Gun'' ($176.8million). ''Aliens'' box-office returns to the studio, minus the theaters' share, was $42.5million. Box office figures outside the U.S. and Canada are inconsistent and not available for all 1986 films. According to the box-office tracking websites
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
and the Numbers, ''Aliens'' earned from $45.9million to $98.1million. This gives ''Aliens'' a worldwide gross of $131.1million to $183.3million, making it the year's fourth-highest-grossing film, behind ''Platoon'' ($138million), ''Crocodile Dundee'' ($328.2million), and ''Top Gun'' ($356.8million), or the third-highest-grossing film behind ''Crocodile Dundee'' and ''Top Gun''. According to Fox's 1992 estimate, ''Aliens'' had earned $157million worldwide. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' described the film as "extremely successful."


Reception


Critical response

''Aliens'' opened to generally positive reviews. It appeared on the cover of the July 28, 1986, edition of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine, which called it "The Summer's Scariest Movie". Audience polls by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an scale. Most reviewers agreed ''Aliens'' was a worthy successor to ''Alien''. '' Variety'' and Walter Goodman said it could not replicate the novelty of the first film, but ''Aliens'' compensated with special effects, technique, and a constant stream of set-piece thrills and scary scenes. ''Variety'' added ''Aliens'' was made by an expert craftsman, suggesting its predecessor was a more artistic endeavor. Sheila Benson said ''Aliens'' was clever and ironically funny, but lacked ''Alien'' pure horror. Benson attributed this to an overabundance of creature effects in the intervening years, particularly the 1982 film '' The Thing'' (which, Benson said, took alien monstrosities to an extreme). According to Rick Kogan, ''Aliens'' demonstrated that science-fiction horror could still be entertaining after many poorly received ''Alien''-derived films. Dave Kehr and Richard Schickel called it a rare sequel which surpassed the original, and Kehr appreciated the action used to develop the characters. Schickel wrote that the film had evolved from ''Alien'', giving Weaver new emotional depths. Jay Scott said Cameron had redefined the war film, combining ''Rambo'' with ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. Kogan agreed Cameron possessed a knack for action pacing and excitement, but Kehr believed Cameron pushed some elements beyond believability.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
called the last hour "painfully, unremittingly intense" in horror and action, leaving him emotionally drained and unhappy. Ebert believed it could not be defined as entertainment, despite his admiration of the filmmaking craft on display. Dennis Fischer wrote for ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' that the unrelenting scenes of action and suspense worked for ''Aliens'' as they had in ''The Terminator''; tension was created by placing the characters in successive, increasingly difficult situations.
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...
described the film as "one extremely violent, protracted attack on the senses". In the ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'', Jay Boyar called it the '' Jaws'' of the 1980s: the most "intensely shocking" film in years. Reviewers consistently praised Weaver's performance. Benson called her the "white-hot core" around whose "defiant intelligence" and "sensual athleticism" ''Aliens'' was built, and Ripley returned not for vengeance but out of compassion. Ebert credited Weaver's sympathetic performance with holding ''Aliens'' together. Kogan compared her to a more attractive
John Rambo John James Rambo is a fictional character in the Rambo (franchise), ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel ''First Blood (novel), First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film serie ...
(Sylvester Stallone's action character). Scott agreed, saying Weaver made action stars like Stallone and Schwarzenegger look like male pin-up models. He described her as the ultimate adventure heroine, balancing action with femininity and maternal instincts. Pauline Kael was critical of the film overall as too "mechanical", but praised Weaver's physical presence and performance, writing that, without her, ''Aliens'' was a subpar B picture. Most of the cast was also praised, particularly Biehn, Goldstein, Henriksen, Henn and Reiser but Benson noted that less time was spent exploring the new characters than in ''Alien''. Schickel said Henn played her character as endearingly brave and clever, without self-pity. Benson praised Horner's "ruminative, intelligent" music, but Fischer criticized it for borrowing too much from Goldsmith's score and Horner's work on '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' (1984).


Accolades

''Aliens'' received two awards at the 1987 Academy Awards: Best Sound Effects Editing ( Don Sharpe) and Best Visual Effects (Robert Skotak, Stan Winston, John Richardson, Suzanne Benson). Weaver was nominated for Best Actress, losing to
Marlee Matlin Marlee Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, activist, and author. Deafness, Deaf since she was 18 months old, Matlin is known for her portrayals of deaf women, and for her activism on behalf of deaf individuals in Cinema of the ...
for the romantic drama '' Children of a Lesser God''. Weaver's was the first Best Actress nomination given for a science-fiction film, at a time when the genre was given little respect, and it remained a rarity for the action or science-fiction genres. The film garnered four other nominations: Best Original Score for Horner; Best Art Director for Peter Lamont and Crispian Sallis; Best Editing for Ray Lovejoy, and Best Sound for Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and Roy Charman. At the 44th Golden Globe Awards, Weaver was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama. At the 40th British Academy Film Awards, ''Aliens'' won the award for Best Special Visual Effects and three other nominations: Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hair for Peter Robb King, and Best Sound. At the 14th Saturn Awards, ''Aliens'' received eight awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actress (Weaver), Best Performance by a Young Actor (Henn), Best Supporting Actress (Goldstein), Best Supporting Actor (Paxton), Best Special Effects (Winston and the L.A. Effects Group) and Best Director and Best Writing (both for Cameron). It received a
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
for Best Dramatic Presentation.


Post-release


Home media

''Aliens'' was released on VHS in February 1987. A modified cut, including scenes deleted from the theatrical release, was broadcast on CBS in 1989, and a further extended edition with more deleted scenes, including the opening scene of Newt's family investigating the derelict spacecraft, was released on
LaserDisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
in 1991. The extended cut is 157minutes long, 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, and Cameron has stated it is his preferred version. The extended edition was released on VHS and DVD in 1999 as part of the ''Alien Legacy''
box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...
with the other three available ''Alien'' films: ''Alien'', '' Alien 3'' (1992) and '' Alien Resurrection'' (1997). The DVD version was also sold separately, and both versions included additional behind-the-scenes footage. The 2003 ''Alien Quadrilogy'' nine-DVD box set included all four films and an additional disc for each film with behind-the-scenes footage and featurettes (including a three-hour documentary, ''Superior Firepower: The Making of Aliens''), and theatrical and extended cuts of each film. The ''Aliens'' disc included commentary by cast and crew members, including Cameron; Weaver did not participate. Each film was sold separately (including its bonus disc) in 2004. ''Aliens'' was released on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
in 2010 as part of the ''Alien Anthology'' box set with remastered footage, theatrical and extended versions, and featurettes found in earlier releases. The film was released separately on Blu-ray in 2011. For its 30th anniversary in 2016, ''Aliens'' was released on Blu-ray and digital download, featuring a new interview with Cameron about his inspirations for the film. In addition to the theatrical and extended versions, the release contained a limited-edition lithograph of Ripley in battle with the alien queen, an art book focused on the ''Aliens'' comic books by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, and collectible cards with concept art by Cameron. A limited-edition, 75-copy
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
soundtrack was also released that year. A 4K Ultra HD remastered Collector's Edition of ''Aliens'' was made available for digital release in December 2023, followed by a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release in March 2024. This release received some criticism for the use of artificial intelligence to improve the image quality, which resulted in some overly smooth and uncanny results.


Other media

Toy company Kenner Products attempted to release figures based on ''Alien'' in 1979, but only an alien action figure was released, which was quickly withdrawn when it was deemed too frightening for children. ''Aliens'' was considered a different prospect (despite its adult-oriented content), since it focused on action and featured marines (instead of ordinary workers) fighting a large number of aliens. The toys were intended to tie into ''Operation Aliens'' (a children's cartoon scheduled for release in 1992, alongside ''Alien 3'') and a series of mini-comics by Dark Horse Comics. Since its release, ''Aliens'' has appeared across a variety of merchandise, including action figures, punching bags, clothing, and board games. McFarlane Toys released figures for Hicks, the alien, and the alien queen in the early 2000s. In the late 2010s, National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) released figures based on the film, including Newt, Burke, and Cameron dressed as a Colonial Marine. NECA also revived the original Kenner designs in 2019, releasing better-quality models. ''Aliens'' has had several video-game adaptations, beginning with'' Aliens: The Computer Game'' (1986), which was followed by a separate game, also called '' Aliens: The Computer Game'', in 1987. A side-scroller, ''Aliens'' (1987), was released in Japan for the
MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...
, and a 1990 arcade game, '' Aliens'', allowed players to play as Ripley or Hicks against alien variants; some levels required the player to control Newt. '' Aliens: A Comic Book Adventure'', an adventure game focusing on puzzles, was released in 1995. A first-person shooter, '' Alien Trilogy'' (1996), is based on ''Alien'', ''Aliens'', and ''Alien 3''. '' Aliens Online'' (1998) was an online game which allowed players to play as Colonial Marines or aliens. '' Aliens: Colonial Marines'' (2013) is a first-person shooter and a canonical sequel of ''Aliens'', focusing on the marines sent to search for Ripley's expedition. Several other games have the ''Aliens'' brand or are side stories or sequels to the film's events, and the ''Aliens vs. Predator'' game series. A novelization by Alan Dean Foster was released alongside the film. Comic books based on (and continuing) the story of ''Aliens'' have been published (primarily by Dark Horse Comics) since 1988, including crossovers of the titular aliens with popular franchises, such as ''
Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
'' (creating a derivative '' Alien vs. Predator'' franchise), '' Terminator'', and ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
''. Reebok's boots designed for Ripley became available to the public in 2016; other versions included boots based on the power loader, Bishop, the Colonial Marines and the alien queen. Rinzler published ''The Making of Aliens'', a 300-page behind-the-scenes book with cast and crew interviews and previously unseen photographs, in 2020. ''Operation Aliens'', a board game, was released in 1992. Players are cast as a Colonial Marine or Ripley and tasked with finding a self-destruct code to destroy an infested spaceship.


Themes


Motherhood

A central theme of ''Aliens'' is motherhood. ''Alien'' can be seen as a metaphor for childbirth, but ''Aliens'' focuses on Ripley's maternal feelings for Newt. A scene cut from the theatrical release depicts Ripley learning her child died while she was in stasis, helping explain Ripley's motherly attention for Newt. Newt has also lost everything of value, and they form a new family from the remnants of their old ones. This relationship is mirrored by the alien queen, mother of the alien creatures. There are no paternal figures; both are single mothers, defending their young. The alien queen seeks revenge against Ripley, who destroyed her brood and her means of reproduction. According to Richard Schickel, ''Alien'' is about survival; ''Aliens'' is about fighting to ensure someone else's survival. Authors Tammy Ostrander and Susan Yunis believed Newt's capture by the aliens forces Ripley to realize she is willing to die to save her, demonstrating a selfless motherhood, unlike the queen's selfish motherhood. Writing for the ''Los Angeles Times'', Nancy Weber wrote that as a mother, she saw in ''Aliens'' the constant vigilance required to protect her child from predators, sexism, and threats to childhood innocence. Leilani Nishime believed despite the focus on motherhood, the nuclear family is represented in ''Aliens'' with a mother (Ripley), father (Hicks), daughter (Newt), and a loyal, self-sacrificing dog (Bishop). According to Charles Berg, the depictions of aliens in science fiction that became more popular during the 1980s represented American fears of immigrants (the "other"). In ''Aliens'', this can be seen in the white-skinned single mother (Ripley) confronting the dark-skinned alien queen with an endless brood. Ostrander and Yunis also identified fears of overcrowding, dwindling resources, and pollution, suggesting the alien queen demonizes motherhood and makes it less attractive. She represents mindless, unchecked maternal instinct spawning armies of children, regardless of the lives which must be sacrificed to ensure their survival. Despite imminent destruction by the colony exploding, the queen continues to reproduce. The aliens' life cycle taints the reproductive cycle. Creation involves rape, and birth involves a violent death. In destroying the aliens and their queen, Ripley rejects the unchecked proliferation of their species and sets an example for her own.


Masculinity and femininity

Ripley has been compared to John Rambo and dubbed Ramboette, Rambette, Fembo, Ramboline; Weaver called herself Rambolina. Mary Lee Settle said females in television and film had evolved from escapist fantasy to more accurately reflect their audiences. A gun, which can be seen as a phallic symbol, has a different meaning when wielded by Weaver. Schickel described Ripley as transcending the customary boundaries imposed on her gender, where females serve the male hero. In ''Aliens'', the male characters are neutralized by the climax and Ripley faces the queen alone. Cameron said he does not like cowardly female characters and removes their expected protectors to force them to fend for themselves. He called the overuse of male heroes "commercially shortsighted" in an industry whose audience is 50-percent female, and where "80 percent of the time, it's women who decide which film to see". The growth of female-led action films after the success of ''Aliens'' reflects the change in women's roles and the divide between professional critics (who perceive a masculinization of the heroine) and audiences that—regardless of gender—embrace, emulate, and quote Ripley. The hyper-masculine heroes played by Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were replaced by independent women capable of defending themselves and defeating villains in films such as '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) and Cameron's '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991). These female characters often perform stereotypical male actions, and have muscular physiques rather than feminine "soft" bodies. When Ripley has seized command of the marines and is no longer a passive outsider in ''Aliens'', the traditional male hero (Hicks) instructs her in the use of their weapons. The comparison of Ripley to Rambo conflates her with the male, musclebound, gun-wielding action hero. To balance her masculine traits, Cameron gives Ripley maternal instincts; this counters homophobic audiences, who might see a masculinized female as lesbian or butch. These traits are further offset by the more openly masculine Vasquez, a minor character. Vasquez (who has short hair and bigger muscles) is introduced to the audience by working out, and is asked if she has ever been mistaken for a man. Weber appreciated the change in female characters between the films, contrasting ''Alien'' hysterical Lambert with the tough Vasquez (who sacrifices herself for her team, not only for the protagonist).


War and trauma

''Aliens'' has been described as an allegory for the Vietnam War; the marines (like the United States) have superior weaponry and technology that proves largely ineffective against an unseen, local enemy. Like some Vietnam veterans, Ripley developed
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
after the events of ''Alien''. Writer Joe Abbott contrasted the depiction of the military in ''Aliens'' to the 1954 science-fiction film '' Them!'' In both films, humans are beset by a monstrous invasion; in ''Them!'', the military is the hero despite its responsibility for the infestation. Abbott said its post-
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
American setting depicts a competent military and a state authority that demands (and receives) the compliance of its citizens. The image of the post-Vietnam military is tarnished and scrutinized; in ''Aliens'', it is ill-equipped, bumbling, and incapable of combating the threat posed by the alien creatures. Citizen cooperation can no longer be demanded or expected, and it is Ripley, an independent contractor from outside the state and military infrastructures, who saves the day. Unlike ''Them!'', the military is not at fault for creating the problem in ''Aliens''; it is the Weyland-Yutani corporation ("the company"). The power of the state has been superseded by the corporation, which also demands conformity for rewards and advancement and reflects a growing mistrust of
corporatism Corporatism is an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby Corporate group (sociology), corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come toget ...
; the company is represented by Burke, a self-interested opportunist. Ripley is elevated throughout ''Aliens'' as she prioritizes the survival and safety of all humans while Burke is often willing to callously sacrifice human life in pursuit of the interests of the company. According to Weaver, ''Aliens'' is about confronting trauma to obtain closure. This may be seen as a reflection of
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
's United States presidency and a
conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...
that believed the hero must return to confront their fears with ethics and morality on their side. Comparing ''Alien'' with ''Aliens'', Roger Luckhurst said: "Even if ''Alien'' was a piece of leftist science fiction, the core of tsmyth could be inflected the other way. ameron's''Aliens'' would be a defiantly Reaganite version of the story—pumped, militarized, libertarian driven by a staunch defense of the nuclear family." Abbott said ''Aliens'' adheres to a radical ideology and condemns
centrism Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
; similar films were popular because they represented audience dissatisfaction with the social ''status quo''. The film places power in the individual (Ripley), instead of institutions like the military, corporations, or the government. The Bishop character also allows Ripley to confront her distrust of androids that resulted from the deception of Ash (portrayed by Ian Holm) in ''Alien''. Unlike Ash, Bishop is openly an android and conveys both a similarly unassuming personality and a fascination with the alien creatures. ''Aliens'' imbues Bishop with a degree of humanity as he volunteers for a potentially suicidal mission. Although the other characters assume he is artificial and thus unafraid, Bishop affirms, "Believe me, I'd prefer not to, I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid."


Legacy


Cultural influence

A cinematic touchstone, ''Aliens'' has had an enduring influence on filmmaking. Elements such as a team of soldiers being dismantled by a villain have been repeated to the point of
cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...
. The same is true of Horner's oft-imitated score, which regularly appeared in action-film trailers for the following decade. The film's influence can also be seen in video games' (particularly science-fiction games') ships, armor, and weapons, as well as the 1989 Italian film '' Shocking Dark'', a remake of ''Aliens'' that relocates much of the plot and scenes to a Venetian setting and incorporates elements of ''The Terminator''; outside Italy, it was released as ''Terminator II''. In '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018),
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
discusses the film with
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
, and the two use the xenomorph queen's defeat as inspiration for how to kill Ebony Maw and free
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
. Although ''The Terminator'' was a success for Cameron, the critical and commercial success of ''Aliens'' made him a blockbuster director. It also expanded the ''Alien'' series into a franchise, spanning video games, comic books, and toys; although Ripley and the alien creature originated in ''Alien'', Cameron elaborated on the creature's life cycle, added new characters and factions (such as the Colonial Marines), and extended the films' universe. Ripley became a post-feminist icon, a proactive hero who retained feminine traits. ''Aliens'' features popular quotes, including Paxton's "Game over, man; game over", and Weaver's "Get away from her, you bitch," which is considered one of ''Aliens'' most memorable lines and has often been repeated in other media. ''Aliens'' was named by director Roland Emmerich as one of his top ten science-fiction films, alongside ''Alien''. Many cast and crew members reunited at the 2016
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary, including Weaver, Biehn, Paxton, Henriksen, Reiser, Henn, Cameron and Hurd. Cameron said he normally would not participate (and did not do so for ''The Terminator''s anniversary) but he considered ''Aliens'' special because of its impact on his career. Asked why he thought ''Aliens'' popularity had endured, Cameron said: Hurd believed that it was the experience itself: The ensemble cast's popularity led to many members appearing together in later films, including Henriksen, Goldstein, and Paxton in '' Near Dark'' (1987) as well as Goldstein and Rolston in ''
Lethal Weapon 2 ''Lethal Weapon 2'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit. It is a sequel to the 1987 film '' Letha ...
'' (1989). Biehn lost a role in Cameron's ''
Avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
'' (2009) because Weaver had been cast, and the director did not want to create an obvious association with ''Aliens''. Paxton is also remembered as one of only two actors, along with Lance Henriksen, to play characters killed by an alien, a Terminator (in ''The Terminator''), and a
Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
(in 1990's ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction film, science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins (director), Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, Rubén Bla ...
''). Despite her sudden fame, Henn decided not to pursue acting, so that she could remain close to her family. She said some people resented her fame and was uncertain whether people liked her for being in ''Aliens'' or for herself. Henn became a teacher; she maintains a relationship with Weaver and kept a framed picture of her and Weaver that the actress had given her after filming was complete.


Critical reassessment

''Aliens'' is considered one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made, as well as being among the best films of the 1980s, and one of the greatest action films of all time. The
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
called ''Aliens'' one of the 10 greatest action films, saying: "A matriarchal masterpiece of
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
-bothering structural engineering, there's really little that ''Aliens'' doesn't get right; from its slow-burn exemplification of character and world-building through to its jab-jab-hook-pause-uppercut series of sustained climaxes, Cameron delivers a masterclass in action direction." The film is also considered one of the best sequels of all time, and equal to (or better than) ''Alien''. According to ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'', it exceeded ''Alien'' in every way. In 2009, ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' called it the best blockbuster sequel ever made, and remarkable even as a standalone film. In 2017, the website ranked it the second-best film in the series (behind ''Alien''). In 2011, ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' called it the greatest movie sequel ever. ''Empire'' also listed ''Aliens'' as the 30th-best film ever made on the magazine's "500 Greatest Movies Of All Time" list; its readers ranked it the 17th-best. The film is listed in the book '' 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die''. ''Aliens'' has a approval rating on the
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
from reviews, with an average rating of . Its critical consensus reads, "While ''Alien'' was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, ''Aliens'' packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver." The film has a score of 84 out of 100 on
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The Ellen Ripley character has also been recognized; the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
ranked her the eighth-most-heroic character on its 2003 100 Years ... 100 Heroes and Villains list, and she was ninth on ''Empire''s 2006 "100 Greatest Movie Characters" list. Despite her character's popularity, the casting of Jenette Goldstein (a Jewish actress of Russian, Moroccan, and Brazilian descent) as the Hispanic Vasquez has been considered odd. Goldstein has said she considers herself unrecognizable as Vasquez on film, but a muscular actress was required, and the filmmakers could not find anyone else with her physique.


Franchise

''Aliens'' success resulted in immediate discussion of a sequel. ''Alien 3'' was released in 1992, after a tumultuous development involving several writers and directors; Cameron did not return. The film was financially successful, but "generally panned" by critics, and its director, David Fincher, disowned it after the release, citing studio interference. The film was also derided by fans because it killed the Hicks and Newt characters off-screen. Biehn called it one of his greatest disappointments and refused permission for the use of his likeness in ''Alien 3''. Regarding the treatment of his characters, Cameron said: An early script for ''Alien 3'', by William Gibson, was adapted as a 2019 audio drama, focusing on Hicks as the protagonist, with Biehn and Henriksen voicing their respective roles. A five-hour 2017 audio drama, ''River of Pain'', takes place between ''Alien'' and ''Aliens'' and covers the early days of the LV-426 colony and its downfall to the aliens. Actors returning to voice their characters included William Hope, Mac MacDonald, Stuart Milligan, and Alibe Parsons. A third sequel, ''Alien Resurrection'', was released in 1997. Instead of a fourth sequel, Fox began development of a prequel crossover film, '' Alien vs. Predator'' (2004), pitting the series' aliens against the titular alien race of its science-fiction property, ''Predator''; the film was poorly received. It was followed by a sequel, '' Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (2007), the least financially-successful and worst-reviewed film in either franchise. Ridley Scott returned to the series for ''
Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
'' (2012) (a prequel to ''Alien'') and its sequel, '' Alien: Covenant'' (2017). A fourth ''Alien'' sequel was in development by 2020, but was canceled by
the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
following its acquisition of 20th Century Fox. A stand-alone film in the ''Alien'' franchise, '' Alien: Romulus'', was released on August 16, 2024; it is set between the events of ''Alien'' and ''Aliens''.


Footnotes


Notes


References


Citations

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{{cite web, first=Richard , last=Edwards , title= The 25 Best 80s Movies, from Back to the Future to Blade Runner and beyond, url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-80s-movies/ , website=
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
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{{cite web , first=Alec , last=Banks , title=68 Classic '80s Movies Every Highsnobiety Reader Should See , url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/best-80s-movies/ , website= Highsnobiety , date=2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20201007193702/https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/best-80s-movies/ , archive-date=October 7, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first1=Ruby , last1=Buddemeyer , first2=Kayleigh , last2=Roberts , title=The 68 Best '80s Movies Ever Made , url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g5032/best-80s-movies/?slide=18 , website= Marie Claire , date=March 20, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112130043/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g5032/best-80s-movies/?slide=18 , archive-date=November 12, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Gwynne , last=Watkins , title=The 80 Best Movies Of The '80s—From The Breakfast Club to the Princess Bride , url=https://parade.com/1047441/gwynnewatkins/best-80s-movies/ , website= Parade , date=August 16, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727225742/https://parade.com/1047441/gwynnewatkins/best-80s-movies/ , archive-date=July 27, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Marc , last=Chacksfield , title=Best '80s Movies: The Greatest Films Of The 1980s , url=https://www.shortlist.com/lists/greatest-films-of-the-1980s-400064 , website= ShortList , date=September 9, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705215055/https://www.shortlist.com/lists/greatest-films-of-the-1980s-400064 , archive-date=July 5, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Joshua , last=Rothkpf , title=The 30 Best '80s Movies , url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/movies/best-80s-movies , website= Time Out , date=June 11, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526215242/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/movies/best-80s-movies , archive-date=May 26, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Messer , first=Lesley , title=''Aliens'' Turns 30: 8 Secrets From The Set Revealed, url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/aliens-turns-30-secrets-set-revealed/story?id=40556036 , website=
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...
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{{cite web, title=The 59th Academy Awards 1987 , url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987 , website=
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009005930/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987 , archive-date=October 9, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Matthew , last=Thrift , title=10 Best Action Movies , url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-best-action-movies , date=July 2, 2015 , website=
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, access-date=June 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031073527/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-best-action-movies , archive-date=October 31, 2019 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, first=Harry , last=Fletcher , title=The Best Action Movies Of All Time: from Die Hard to Con Air , url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/film/the-best-action-movies-of-all-time-from-die-hard-to-con-air-a3667911.html , date=January 10, 2018 , website=
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
, access-date=June 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110164833/https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/film/the-best-action-movies-of-all-time-from-die-hard-to-con-air-a3667911.html , archive-date=January 10, 2018 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=These Are the 20 Best Action Movies Ever Made , url=https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g26455274/best-action-movies/ , date=February 22, 2019 , website=
Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...
, access-date=June 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422085233/https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g26455274/best-action-movies/ , archive-date=April 22, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first1=Joshua , last1=Rothkopf , first2=Tom , last2=Huddleston , title=The 101 Best Action Movies Ever Made , url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/best-action-movies , date=April 5, 2019 , website= Time Out , access-date=June 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418002049/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/best-action-movies , archive-date=April 18, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=The 60 Best Action Movies , url= https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-action-movies/, website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, date= October 1, 2016 , access-date=June 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123004554/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-action-movies/ , archive-date=November 23, 2018 , url-status=live
{{cite web, url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1448232520070615, title="Die Hard" Tops Magazine List Of Best Action Films, website=
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
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{{cite web, first=Matt , last=Fowler, url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-top-25-action-movies?page=5, title=The Top 25 Action Movies, website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=January 9, 2012 , access-date=June 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221153925/http://www.ign.com/articles/the-top-25-action-movies?page=5, archive-date=December 21, 2016 , url-status=live
{{cite web , url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf , title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes And Villains , website=
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
, access-date=June 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328082215/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf , archive-date=March 28, 2014 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Cummins , first=Chris , title=The Weird Marketing of the Alien Films , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-weird-marketing-of-the-alien-films/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=April 26, 2019 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022180106/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-weird-marketing-of-the-alien-films/, archive-date=October 22, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Breihan , first=Tom , title=''Aliens'' Is Nothing Like Alien{{sndAnd All The Better For It , url=https://www.avclub.com/aliens-is-nothing-like-alien-and-all-the-better-for-it-1798252777 , website= The A.V. Club , date=July 10, 2016 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108112520/https://film.avclub.com/aliens-is-nothing-like-alien-and-all-the-better-for-it-1798252777 , archive-date= November 8, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=Film Nominations 1986 , url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1986 , website=
British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080228220445/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1986 , archive-date=February 28, 2008 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=John , last=Lynch , title=The 100 Best Science Fiction Movies Of All Time, According To Critics , url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-science-fiction-movies-all-time-critics-reviews-2018-8?r=US&IR=T#27-aliens-1986-74 , website=
Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001112635/https://www.businessinsider.com/best-science-fiction-movies-all-time-critics-reviews-2018-8?r=US&IR=T , archive-date=October 1, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first1=Ben , last1=Travis , first2=James , last2=White , title= The 50 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies, url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/empire-movies-features-best-sci-fi-movies/ , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, date=May 27, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727062650/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/empire-movies-features-best-sci-fi-movies/ , archive-date=July 27, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Jack , last=Shepherd , title=The 30 Best Sci-fi Movies Of All Time , url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-sci-fi-movies/ , website=
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
, date=2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925055733/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-sci-fi-movies/ , archive-date=September 25, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies , url=https://www.ign.com/lists/best-science-fiction-movies/7 , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411015819/https://www.ign.com/lists/best-science-fiction-movies/7 , archive-date=April 11, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Michael , last=Burgin , title=The 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time , url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sci-fi-movies/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/#14-back-to-the-future , website= Paste , date=November 13, 2018 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430193727/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sci-fi-movies/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , archive-date=April 30, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=150 Essential Sci-Fi Movies To Watch Now , url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , website=
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926195854/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , archive-date=September 26, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=The Top 10 Science Fiction Films Of All Time , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-top-10-science-fiction-films-of-all-time , website= SyFy , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815192438/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-top-10-science-fiction-films-of-all-time , archive-date=August 15, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first1=Alex , last1=Plim, first2=Tom , last2=Huddleston, first3=Geoff , last3=Andrew, first4=Catherine , last4=Bray, first5=Dave , last5=Calhoun, first6=Cath , last6=Clarke , last7=Dudok de Wit , first7=Alex , author7-link=Alex Dudok de Wit , first8=Eddy , last8=Frankel , first9=Trevor , last9=Johnston, first10=Alim , last10=Kheraj, first11=Joshua , last11=Rothkopf, first12=Phil , last12=de Semlyen , first13=Anna , last13=Smith , first14=Keith , last14=Uhlich , title=The 100 Best Sci-fi Movies , url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies , website= Time Out , date=February 20, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728100848/https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies , archive-date= July 28, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=''Aliens'' (1986) , url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/f6770cd5-0ccb-5c65-be26-b5a920c05edf/aliens , website=
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, access-date=October 19, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803104914/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ea3947f , archive-date=August 3, 2020, url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Miska , first=Brad , title=Neca Steals 'Alien' Day Showcase With Newt Action Figure! , url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3388872/neca-steals-alien-day-showcase-newt-action-figure/ , website=
Bloody Disgusting Bloody Disgusting is an American independent multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news website specializing in information services that covered various horror media. The company expanded into other media including podcast ...
, date=May 10, 2019 , access-date=November 15, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402140725/https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3388872/neca-steals-alien-day-showcase-newt-action-figure/ , archive-date=April 2, 2017 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Thurman , first=Trace , title= 'Aliens'' 30th AnniversaryHere's Why ''Aliens'' Almost Never Happened , url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3398252/aliens-almost-never-happened/ , website=
Bloody Disgusting Bloody Disgusting is an American independent multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news website specializing in information services that covered various horror media. The company expanded into other media including podcast ...
, date=April 26, 2016 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809104835/https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3398252/aliens-almost-never-happened/ , archive-date=August 9, 2016 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Navarro , first=Meagan , title=Queen Mother: The Enduring Theme Of Motherhood In The 'alien' Franchise , url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3559576/queen-mother-enduring-theme-motherhood-alien-franchise/ , website=
Bloody Disgusting Bloody Disgusting is an American independent multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news website specializing in information services that covered various horror media. The company expanded into other media including podcast ...
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{{cite web, title=1986 Worldwide Box Office , url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1986/ , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026204447/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1986/ , archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Domestic Box Office For 1986 , url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1986/?grossesOption=totalGrosses , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405084822/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1986/?grossesOption=totalGrosses , archive-date=April 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=''Aliens'' , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3309340161/weekend/ , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802003537/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3309340161/weekend/ , archive-date=August 2, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Domestic 1986 Weekend 29 July 18-20, 1986 , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W29/?ref_=bo_rl_table_1 , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024170531/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W29/?ref_=bo_rl_table_1 , archive-date=October 24, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Domestic 1986 Weekend 30 July 25-27, 1986 , url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W30/?ref_=bo_rl_table_2, website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025003658/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W30/?ref_=bo_rl_table_2 , archive-date=October 25, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Domestic 1986 Weekend 31 August 1-3, 1986 , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W31/?ref_=bo_rl_table_3 , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191025003707/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W31/?ref_=bo_rl_table_3 , archive-date=October 25, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Domestic 1986 Weekend 33 August 15-17, 1986 , url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W33/?ref_=bo_rl_table_5 , website=
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105161537/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1986W33/ , archive-date=November 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Vary , first=Adam B., title=How "Gravity" Could Finally Redeem Science Fiction at the Oscars , url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/how-gravity-could-finally-redeem-sci-fi-at-the-oscars , website=
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...
, date=February 5, 2014 , access-date=November 19, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516160907/https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/how-gravity-could-finally-redeem-sci-fi-at-the-oscars , archive-date=May 16, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Cronin , first=Brian , title=Who Really Came Up With the Idea For Alien Vs. Predator? , url=https://www.cbr.com/alien-vs-predator-origin-idea-dark-horse-comics/ , website=
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, date=January 13, 2020 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114170953/https://www.cbr.com/alien-vs-predator-origin-idea-dark-horse-comics/ , archive-date=January 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Hollan , first=Michael , title=''Aliens'': The 15 Best Xenomorph Comics , url=https://www.cbr.com/aliens-the-15-best-xenomorph-comics/ , website=
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, date=January 2, 2017 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616053958/https://www.cbr.com/aliens-the-15-best-xenomorph-comics/ , archive-date=June 16, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Kogan , first=Rick , author-link=Rick Kogan , title=The Suspense Is Still Singular In 'Alien' With An 'S' , url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-18-8602220050-story.html , website=
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
, date=July 18, 1986 , access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924224502/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-18-8602220050-story.html , archive-date=September 24, 2020 , url-status=live , url-access=limited
{{cite web , url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ , title= Cinemascore , website=
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
, access-date=September 11, 2019 , url-status= dead , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ , archive-date= December 20, 2018
{{cite web, last=Plunkett , first=Luke , title=RIP Al Matthews: As Sgt. Apone, He Fought To The End In ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/al-matthews-who-played-sgt-apone-in-aliens-has-died-at-75/ , website= CNET , date=September 24, 2018 , access-date=September 17, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220917140518/https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/al-matthews-who-played-sgt-apone-in-aliens-has-died-at-75/ , archive-date=September 17, 2022 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Plunkett , first=Luke , title=Ron Cobb, The Design Genius Behind ''Aliens'' And Back to the Future, Has Died , url=https://kotaku.com/ron-cobb-the-design-genius-behind-aliens-and-back-to-t-1845134892 , website= Kotaku , date=September 21, 2020 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027143434/https://kotaku.com/ron-cobb-the-design-genius-behind-aliens-and-back-to-t-1845134892 , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Plainse , first=Josh , title=Ranked : The 12 Best Designs by the Late Ron Cobb , url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1149517-ranked-12-best-designs-ron-cobb , website= ComingSoon.net , date=September 23, 2020 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104065628/https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1149517-ranked-12-best-designs-ron-cobb , archive-date=November 4, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Mozzocco , first=J. Caleb , title=Whoever Wins, We Win: A Brief History of ''Aliens Vs Predator'' , url=https://comicsalliance.com/brief-history-aliens-vs-predator/ , website=
ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...
, date=April 26, 2016 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708021514/https://comicsalliance.com/brief-history-aliens-vs-predator/ , archive-date=July 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Brown , first=Luke , title=Send in Ihe Marines: The Failed 'Operation: ''Aliens''{{' Cartoon And The Kenner Toys it Inspired , url=https://comicsalliance.com/operation-aliens-kenner-alien-toys/ , website=
ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...
, date=April 26, 2016 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108090244/https://comicsalliance.com/operation-aliens-kenner-alien-toys/ , archive-date=November 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Williams , first=Stephanie , title=Chosen One of the Day: Batman V. Aliens , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/chosen-one-of-the-day-batman-v-aliens , website= Syfy , date=June 1, 2020 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707041659/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/chosen-one-of-the-day-batman-v-aliens, archive-date=July 7, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Zachary , first=Brandon , title=Green Lantern Vs. Aliens: How DC's Heroes Took Down The Xenomorphs , url=https://www.cbr.com/green-lantern-vs-aliens-xenomorphs/ , website=
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, date=July 10, 2020 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005203531/https://www.cbr.com/green-lantern-vs-aliens-xenomorphs/ , archive-date=October 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens , url=https://digital.darkhorse.com/series/755/predator-vs-judge-dredd-vs-aliens , website=
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919191003/https://digital.darkhorse.com/series/755/predator-vs-judge-dredd-vs-aliens , archive-date=September 19, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Superman And Batman Vs. Aliens And Predator , url=https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/superman-and-batman-vs-aliens-and-predator , website=
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, access-date=October 17, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017182649/https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/superman-and-batman-vs-aliens-and-predator , archive-date=October 17, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Pierce , first=Scott , title=Terminator Versus ... What?! Strangest Skynet Spinoffs , url=https://www.wired.com/2009/05/terminator-versus-what-strangest-skynet-spinoffs/ , magazine=
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
, date=March 1, 2020 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109043749/https://www.wired.com/2009/05/terminator-versus-what-strangest-skynet-spinoffs/ , archive-date=November 9, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Leon , first=Melissa , title=Game Over, Man: ''Aliens'' Cast Remembers The 'Irreplaceable' Bill Paxton On Alien Day , url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/game-over-man-aliens-cast-remembers-the-irreplaceable-bill-paxton-on-alien-day , website=
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
, date=May 5, 2017 , access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809085312/https://www.thedailybeast.com/game-over-man-aliens-cast-remembers-the-irreplaceable-bill-paxton-on-alien-day, archive-date=August 9, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=''Aliens'': Colonial Marines #10 (Of 10) , url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/93-160/Aliens-Colonial-Marines-10-of-10 , website=
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628200721/https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/93-160/Aliens-Colonial-Marines-10-of-10 , archive-date=June 28, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Pedersen , first=Erik , title=Visual Effects Society Lists 70 Most Influential VFX Films: Sci-Fi Rules, Superheroes Lag , url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/most-influential-visual-effects-movies-all-time-visual-effects-society-star-wars-steven-spielberg-1202167849/ , website=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=September 12, 2017 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703231854/https://deadline.com/2017/09/most-influential-visual-effects-movies-all-time-visual-effects-society-star-wars-steven-spielberg-1202167849/ , archive-date=July 3, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Lauren , last=Oldershaw , title=History: Colchester Is Not Alien To A-lister Sigourney Weaver...Her Actress Mum Was Born Here , url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/15010972.history-colchester-is-not-alien-to-a-lister-sigourney-weaverher-actress-mum-was-born-here/ , website= Daily Gazette , date=January 9, 2017 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101092831/https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/15010972.history-colchester-is-not-alien-to-a-lister-sigourney-weaverher-actress-mum-was-born-here/ , archive-date=November 1, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=''Aliens'' Actor Jay Benedict Dies After Contracting Covid-19 , url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/movies/aliens-actor-jay-benedict-dies-after-contracting-covid-19/wcm/cc8a5b63-4d9a-41a1-868a-15b1a346b9e9/ , website=
Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The C ...
, agency = World Entertainment News Network , date=April 6, 2020 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121144255/https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/movies/aliens-actor-jay-benedict-dies-after-contracting-covid-19/wcm/cc8a5b63-4d9a-41a1-868a-15b1a346b9e9/ , archive-date=November 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Josh , last=Weiss , title=Jay Benedict, ''Aliens'' And ''Dark Knight Rises'' Actor, Dies at 68 From Coronavirus Complications , url= https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/jay-benedict-dies-aliens-dark-knight-rises , website= Syfy , date=April 7, 2020 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918171539/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/jay-benedict-dies-aliens-dark-knight-rises, archive-date=September 18, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Mark , last=Pickavance , title=Whatever Happened To Carrie Henn? , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/whatever-happened-to-carrie-henn/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=August 13, 2017 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112014825/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/whatever-happened-to-carrie-henn/ , archive-date=November 12, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , first=Andrew , last=Ellard , title=Mr Flibble Talks To... Mac MacDonald , url=https://www.reddwarf.co.uk/features/interviews/mac-mcdonald/ , website=
Red Dwarf A red dwarf is the smallest kind of star on the main sequence. Red dwarfs are by far the most common type of fusing star in the Milky Way, at least in the neighborhood of the Sun. However, due to their low luminosity, individual red dwarfs are ...
, date=December 1, 2000 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505043804/http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/features/interviews/mac-mcdonald/ , archive-date=May 5, 2013 , url-status=live
{{cite web, url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/686/686746p1.html , title=AVP Killed Alien 5 , date=February 8, 2006 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116035730/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/686/686746p1.html , archive-date=November 16, 2007 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/317/317700p1.html , title=Alien Vs. Predator: Battle Of The Sequels , date=January 23, 2002 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212234158/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/317/317700p1.html , archive-date=December 12, 2010 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, first=Joshua , last=Winning , title=In Defence Of... Alien: Resurrection, The Franchise's Ugly Duckling , url= https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a630047/in-defence-of-alien-resurrection-the-franchises-ugly-duckling/ , website=
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
, date= February 19, 2015 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610192756/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a630047/in-defence-of-alien-resurrection-the-franchises-ugly-duckling/ , archive-date=June 10, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=''Aliens'': Konami's Arcade Game Is Still Amazing , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/aliens-konamis-arcade-game-is-still-amazing/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=April 26, 2018 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021095253/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/aliens-konamis-arcade-game-is-still-amazing/ , archive-date=October 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=Alien Movies: Ranking The Franchise In Order Of Quality, url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/alien-movies-ranking-the-franchise-in-order-of-quality/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=January 13, 2017 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022202904/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/alien-movies-ranking-the-franchise-in-order-of-quality/ , archive-date=October 22, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=''Aliens'': The Brilliance of Lance Henriksen's Bishop , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-the-brilliance-of-lance-henriksen-s-bishop/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=June 21, 2016 , access-date=September 22, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110141835/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-the-brilliance-of-lance-henriksen-s-bishop/, archive-date=November 10, 2021 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Brew , first=Simon , title=The 25 Best Blockbuster Sequels Of All Time , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-25-best-blockbuster-sequels-of-all-time/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=August 13, 2009 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028211205/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-25-best-blockbuster-sequels-of-all-time/ , archive-date=October 28, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Williams , first=Owen , title=Daniel Kash interview: ''Aliens''{{' Private Spunkmeyer , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/daniel-kash-interview-aliens-private-spunkymeyer/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
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{{cite web, last=Chapman , first=Glen , title=Music in the Movies: James Horner , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/music-in-the-movies-james-horner/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=August 10, 2010 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805221239/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/music-in-the-movies-james-horner/, archive-date=August 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie , first=Ryan , title=When Italy Remade ''Aliens'' And Called It ''Terminator 2'', url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/when-italy-remade-aliens-and-called-it-terminator-2/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=July 3, 2016 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021131948/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/when-italy-remade-aliens-and-called-it-terminator-2/, archive-date=October 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Cummins , first=Chris , title=The 10 Best Pieces Of Alien Merchandise Ever , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/the-10-best-pieces-of-alien-merchandise-ever/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=April 26, 2016 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021095257/https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/the-10-best-pieces-of-alien-merchandise-ever/ , archive-date=October 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Bowles, first=Duncan , title=Bill Paxton Interview: ''2 Guns'', ''Aliens'', And Auditioning In Character, url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bill-paxton-2-guns-aliens-and-auditioning-in-character/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=August 12, 2013 , access-date=October 25, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025170640/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bill-paxton-2-guns-aliens-and-auditioning-in-character/, archive-date=October 25, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Ryan , last=Lambie , title= 10 Remarkable Things About ''Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem'', url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/10-remarkable-things-about-aliens-vs-predator-requiem/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=March 10, 2014 , access-date= November 8, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108133515/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/10-remarkable-things-about-aliens-vs-predator-requiem/ , archive-date= November 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Leane , first=Rob , title=''River Of Pain'': What It Adds to the Story Of ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/river-of-pain-what-it-adds-to-the-story-of-aliens/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=May 8, 2017 , access-date=October 25, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024033250/https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/river-of-pain-what-it-adds-to-the-story-of-aliens/ , archive-date=October 24, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=''Aliens'' And ''Terminator 2'': How James Cameron Crafts Perfect Sequels , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-and-terminator-2-how-james-cameron-crafts-perfect-sequels/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=July 18, 2018 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022122215/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-and-terminator-2-how-james-cameron-crafts-perfect-sequels/, archive-date=October 22, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=Looking Back at James Cameron's ''Aliens'', url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-james-camerons-aliens/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=October 26, 2010 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021132212/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-james-camerons-aliens/ , archive-date=October 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Lambie, first=Ryan , title=8 Films That Have Most Influenced Videogames , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/8-films-that-have-most-influenced-videogames/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=April 29, 2010 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028211655/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/8-films-that-have-most-influenced-videogames/ , archive-date=October 28, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Valero , first=Geraldo , title=Why ''Aliens'' Is Even Better Than ''Alien'' , url=https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/why-aliens-is-even-better-than-alien , website= RogerEbert.com , date=August 10, 2020 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812202912/https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/why-aliens-is-even-better-than-alien , archive-date=August 12, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=James , last=White , title=Fede Álvarez Directing New Alien Movie , url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/fede-alvarez-directing-new-alien-movie/ , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, date=March 6, 2022 , access-date=September 7, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426040928/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/fede-alvarez-directing-new-alien-movie/ , archive-date=April 26, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=The 100 Greatest Movies , url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies-2/ , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, access-date=November 12, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107234156/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies-2/ , archive-date=November 7, 2020 , url-status=dead
{{cite web , title=50 Greatest Movie Sequels , url=https://www.empireonline.com/50greatestsequels/default.asp?c=1 , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, access-date=November 12, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024073711/https://www.empireonline.com/50greatestsequels/default.asp?c=1, archive-date=October 24, 2012 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ , title=The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time, website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, date=October 3, 2008 , access-date=June 17, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104180959/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ , archive-date=November 4, 2015 , url-status=live
{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=9 , title=The 100 Greatest Movie Characters – 9. Ellen Ripley , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, access-date=June 17, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121105708/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=9, archive-date=January 21, 2012 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/default.asp , title=''Aliens'': The Colonial Marines , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
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{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/3.asp , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203154458/http://www.empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/3.asp , url-status=dead , archive-date=February 3, 2014 , title=''Aliens'': The Colonial Marines , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020
{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/4.asp , title=''Aliens'': The Colonial Marines , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
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{{cite web, last=Emmerich , first=Roland , author-link=Roland Emmerich , url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/roland-emmerich-ten-favourite-sci-fis/ , title=Roland Emmerich's Ten Favourite Sci-fis , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, date=June 17, 2016 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525093143/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/roland-emmerich-ten-favourite-sci-fis/, archive-date=May 25, 2022 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, first= Shirley , last=Li , title=Sigourney Weaver's Space Odyssey , url=https://ew.com/comic-con/2017/07/25/sigourney-weaver-interview-alien-avatar-marvel-defenders-galaxy-quest/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 25, 2017 , access-date=November 19, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807093809/https://ew.com/comic-con/2017/07/25/sigourney-weaver-interview-alien-avatar-marvel-defenders-galaxy-quest/ , archive-date=August 7, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first= James, last=Kaplan , title=Sigourney Weaver Talks About ''Alien3'' , url=https://ew.com/article/1992/05/29/sigourney-weaver-talks-about-alien3/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=May 29, 1992 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706014802/https://ew.com/article/1992/05/29/sigourney-weaver-talks-about-alien3/ , archive-date=July 6, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Collis, first=Clark , title=James Cameron Getting ''Aliens'' Action Figure – Exclusive Images , url=https://ew.com/movies/2017/07/17/james-cameron-aliens-action-figure/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 17, 2017 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414203306/https://ew.com/movies/2017/07/17/james-cameron-aliens-action-figure/ , archive-date=April 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Breznican , first=Anthony , title=''Aliens'' Comic-Con Event Planned For 30th Anniversary , url=https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/06/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-event/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 6, 2016 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730054713/https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/06/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-event/ , archive-date=July 30, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Breznican , first=Anthony , title=''Aliens'' 30th Anniversary: Oral History Of Power Loader Ripley Vs. The Alien Queen , url=https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/18/aliens-anniversary-oral-history/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 18, 2016 , access-date=October 20, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414203215/https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/18/aliens-anniversary-oral-history/ , archive-date=April 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Collis , first=Clark , title=Paul Reiser Could Not Be 'Prouder' Of ''Aliens'' Action Figure , url=https://ew.com/movies/2017/07/02/paul-reiser-aliens-action-figure/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 2, 2017 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027001131/https://ew.com/movies/2017/07/02/paul-reiser-aliens-action-figure/ , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Sauter , first=Michael , title=More ''Aliens'' Come To VHS And DVD , url=https://ew.com/article/1999/06/04/more-aliens-come-vhs-and-dvd/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=June 4, 1999 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414162957/https://ew.com/article/1999/06/04/more-aliens-come-vhs-and-dvd/ , archive-date=April 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Derschowitz , first=Jessica , title=Watch Bill Paxton and the Cast Of ''Aliens'' At Last Year's Comic-con , url=https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/23/comic-con-aliens-30th-anniversary-sigourney-weaver/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=July 23, 2016 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414213840/https://ew.com/comic-con/2016/07/23/comic-con-aliens-30th-anniversary-sigourney-weaver/ , archive-date=April 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Collis , first=Clark , title=Bill Paxton Talks ''Alien'' Reboot: 'You've Got To Have Hudson!' , url=https://ew.com/article/2015/05/19/bill-paxton-aliens-reboot/, website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=May 19, 2015 , access-date=October 11, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726131344/https://ew.com/article/2015/05/19/bill-paxton-aliens-reboot/ , archive-date=July 26, 2021 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=Score Restore: ''Aliens'' and ''Die Hard'' , url=https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/fsmonline/free_article.cfm?ID=890 , website= Film Score Monthly , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809142225/https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/fsmonline/free_article.cfm?ID=890 , archive-date=August 9, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=''Aliens'' , url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/aliens.html , website= Filmtracks.com , date=May 12, 2001 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808093457/https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/aliens.html , archive-date=August 8, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Erbland , first=Kate , title=36 Things We Learned From The ''Aliens'' Commentary , url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/36-things-we-learned-from-the-aliens-commentary-45fc526346e0/ , website= Film School Rejects , date=June 14, 2012 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017192859/https://filmschoolrejects.com/36-things-we-learned-from-the-aliens-commentary-45fc526346e0/ , archive-date=October 17, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Thompson , first=Simon , title=Michael Biehn Talks ''Aliens'' 30th Anniversary, His Production Company And His ''Alien'' Future , url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2016/08/01/michael-biehn-talks-aliens-30th-anniversary-his-production-company-and-his-alien-future , website=
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
, date= August 1, 2016 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095031/https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2016/08/01/michael-biehn-talks-aliens-30th-anniversary-his-production-company-and-his-alien-future/ , archive-date= November 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=Winners & Nominees 1987 , url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1987 , website=
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
, access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014030626/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1987 , archive-date=October 14, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title="It Certainly Wasn't An Easy Shoot": The Story Of ''Alien 3''{{'s Tortured Gestation, As Told By Its Cast And Creators , url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/what-really-happened-doom-alien-3-development/ , website=
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
, date=August 13, 2015 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516080825/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/what-really-happened-doom-alien-3-development/ , archive-date=May 16, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Elana , last=Goodinson , title=From ''Alien'' To ''Back to the Future'': The Films Of Ron Cobb – In Pictures , url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2020/sep/22/ron-cobb-films-in-pictures-alien-back-to-the-future , website=
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
, date=September 22, 2020 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105074806/https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2020/sep/22/ron-cobb-films-in-pictures-alien-back-to-the-future , archive-date= November 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first= Joe , last=McGovern , title=James Cameron's James Horner tribute: 'When He Played The ''Titanic'' Music The First Time, I Sat There And Cried' , url=https://ew.com/article/2015/06/23/james-cameron-james-horner-tribute/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, date=June 23, 2015 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920021338/https://ew.com/article/2015/06/23/james-cameron-james-horner-tribute/ , archive-date=September 20, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Greiving , first=Tim , title=Why The ''Alien'' Franchise Has Such A Dramatic Musical Past , url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/why-the-alien-franchise-has-such-a-dramatic-musical-past.html , website= Vulture , date=May 23, 2017 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104024222/https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/why-the-alien-franchise-has-such-a-dramatic-musical-past.html , archive-date=November 4, 2018 , url-status=live , url-access=limited {{cite web, first=Andrew, last=Pulver , title=James Horner: From Star Trek To Avatar – 10 Of His Best Film Scores In Clips , url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/23/james-horner-from-star-trek-to-avatar-10-of-his-best-film-scores-in-clips , website=
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
, date=June 23, 2015 , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513001106/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/23/james-horner-from-star-trek-to-avatar-10-of-his-best-film-scores-in-clips , archive-date=May 13, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=1987 Hugo Awards , url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1987-hugo-awards/ , website=
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
, access-date=November 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012083752/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1987-hugo-awards/ , archive-date=October 12, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Collura , first=Scott , title=The Making Of ''Aliens'': Mutiny, Lawsuits, And James Camer-Who? , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-making-of-aliens-titan-rinzler-james-cameron-gale-anne-hurd, website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=August 31, 2020 , access-date=October 23, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901095929/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-making-of-aliens-titan-rinzler-james-cameron-gale-anne-hurd , archive-date=September 1, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Cheryl , last=Eddy , title= James Cameron Thinks Neill Blomkamp's ''Aliens'' Sequel Script Is 'Gangbusters' , url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/james-cameron-thinks-neill-blomkamps-aliens-sequel-scri-1784210612 , website=
io9 ''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
, date=July 24, 2016 , access-date= November 8, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502202100/https://io9.gizmodo.com/james-cameron-thinks-neill-blomkamps-aliens-sequel-scri-1784210612 , archive-date= May 2, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Anders, first=Charlie Jane , title=9 Classic Movies That The Cast Or Crew Thought Were Garbage , url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/9-classic-movies-that-some-of-the-cast-or-crew-thought-481112671 , website=
io9 ''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
, date=April 25, 2013 , access-date=October 26, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806164804/https://io9.gizmodo.com/9-classic-movies-that-some-of-the-cast-or-crew-thought-481112671, archive-date=August 6, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , first=Wesley , last=Yin-Poole , title=''Aliens'', ''The Abyss'', And ''True Lies'' Coming To 4K UHD For The First Time , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/aliens-the-abyss-and-true-lies-coming-to-4k-uhd-for-the-first-time , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=November 15, 2023 , access-date=November 15, 2023 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115220746/https://www.ign.com/articles/aliens-the-abyss-and-true-lies-coming-to-4k-uhd-for-the-first-time , archive-date=November 15, 2023 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=''Aliens'': Special Edition DVD Review , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/30/aliens-special-edition , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=November 30, 1999 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902195059/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/30/aliens-special-edition, archive-date=September 2, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Patrizio , first=Andy , title=''Aliens'' – Collector's Widescreen Edition DVD Review , url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/11/aliens-collectors-widescreen-edition?page=2 , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=November 11, 2003 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622083936/http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/11/aliens-collectors-widescreen-edition?page=2 , archive-date=June 22, 2018 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Shaffer , first=R.L. , title=''Alien'' Anthology Blu-ray Review , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/27/alien-anthology-blu-ray-review , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=October 28, 2010 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115053039/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/27/alien-anthology-blu-ray-review , archive-date=November 15, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Shaffer , first=R.L. , title=''Aliens'', No Strings, Digibooks And Top Gun , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/10/aliens-no-strings-digibooks-and-top-gun , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=May 10, 2011 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115053048/https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/10/aliens-no-strings-digibooks-and-top-gun , archive-date=November 15, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Collura , first=Scott , title=''Alien'' 40th Anniversary: Tom Skerritt Talks Dallas, Ripley, Ridley And Death Scenes , url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/05/25/alien-40th-anniversary-tom-skerritt-captain-dallas, website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=May 25, 2019 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601071702/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/05/25/alien-40th-anniversary-tom-skerritt-captain-dallas , archive-date=June 1, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web, url=https://www.ign.com/articles/alien-romulus-place-on-the-alien-timeline-revealed , first=Wesley , last=Yin-Poole , title=''Alien: Romulus''{{' Place On The ''Alien'' Timeline Revealed , website=
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, date=November 28, 2023 , access-date=November 28, 2023 , archive-date=November 28, 2023 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128220705/https://www.ign.com/articles/alien-romulus-place-on-the-alien-timeline-revealed , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Sharf , first=Zack , title=''Alien'' Producer Drops First Details Of New Ripley Film: 'A Meditation On the Franchise' , url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/alien-producer-idea-fifth-ripley-movie-1202238277/ , website= IndieWire , date=June 17, 2020 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023010555/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/alien-producer-idea-fifth-ripley-movie-1202238277/ , archive-date=October 23, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last= Murthi , first=Vikram , title= ''Aliens'' 30th Anniversary Comic-Con Panel: Watch The Q&A Live Stream Now , url= https://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-panel-q-a-live-stream-james-cameron-sigourney-weaver-1201709163/ , website= IndieWire , date=July 23, 2016 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210103934/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-panel-q-a-live-stream-james-cameron-sigourney-weaver-1201709163/ , archive-date=February 10, 2017 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Zack , last=Sharf , title=Ridley Scott Still Planning Third ''Alien'' Prequel – Can Franchise Survive ''Covenant'' Box Office Bomb? , url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/05/ridley-scott-alien-prequel-covenant-box-office-1202145138/ , website= IndieWire , date= May 28, 2019 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103030237/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/05/ridley-scott-alien-prequel-covenant-box-office-1202145138/ , archive-date=November 3, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=McDonald , first=Jason , title=Watch: Massive 3-Hour Documentary On The Making Of James Cameron's ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/07/watch-massive-3-hour-documentary-on-the-making-of-james-camerons-aliens-95420/ , website= IndieWire , date=July 29, 2013 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816060407/https://www.indiewire.com/2013/07/watch-massive-3-hour-documentary-on-the-making-of-james-camerons-aliens-95420/, archive-date=August 16, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Kehr , first=Dave , author-link=Dave Kehr , title=''Aliens'' (Review) , website=
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...
, url=http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/192_ALIENS , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121002916/http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/192_ALIENS , access-date=November 6, 2020 , archive-date=November 21, 2007 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Straun , first=John , title=The ''Aliens'' Board Game Based on the Cartoon That Never Was , website= Kotaku , url=https://kotaku.com/the-aliens-board-game-based-on-he-cartoon-that-never-wa-1591272461 , date=June 15, 2015 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701173243/https://kotaku.com/the-aliens-board-game-based-on-he-cartoon-that-never-wa-1591272461 , access-date=November 19, 2020 , archive-date=July 1, 2017 , url-status=live {{cite web , url=https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=15715&recCount=25&recPointer=5&bibId=16893233, title=''Aliens'' : Novelization , website=
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, access-date=September 5, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905214546/https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=15715&recCount=25&recPointer=5&bibId=16893233 , archive-date=September 5, 2022 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Hunt , first=Dennis , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-07-ca-1877-story.html, title=''Aliens'' And 'Jason' Are Giving The Box Office A Fright , date=August 7, 1986 , website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027154044/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-07-ca-1877-story.html , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Matthews, first=Jack , title=''Aliens'' Into Scary Space Once More , url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-11-ca-20111-story.html , website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, date=July 11, 1986, access-date=October 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200725095134/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-11-ca-20111-story.html , archive-date=July 25, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Friendly , first=David T. , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-24-ca-31415-story.html, title=''Aliens'': A Battle-Scarred Trek into Orbit , date=July 24, 1986, website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726231751/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-24-ca-31415-story.html , archive-date=July 26, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, last=Burlingame , first=John , title=Why Get a New Score If a Used One Will Do? , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-27-ca-2475-story.html , website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, date=December 27, 1997 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104071444/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-27-ca-2475-story.html, archive-date=January 4, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, last=Rodman , first=Sarah , title='Everybody Showed Up': James Cameron on the Special Bond Of The ''Aliens'' Cast 30 Years Later , url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-comic-con-aliens-30th-panel-20160723-snap-story.html , website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, date=July 23, 2016 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104202432/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-comic-con-aliens-30th-panel-20160723-snap-story.html , archive-date=November 4, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Benson , first=Sheila , author-link=Sheila Benson , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-18-ca-16778-story.html , title=Movie Review : ''Aliens'' Blasts Off With Weaver in Command , date=July 18, 1986, website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024170507/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-18-ca-16778-story.html , archive-date=October 24, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Atkinson , first=Terry , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-30-ca-1290-story.html , title=Video And Audio March Promisingly Into '87 , date=December 30, 1986, website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027135434/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-30-ca-1290-story.html , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Hunt , first=Dennis , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-09-ca-2697-story.html , title=''Stand By Me'' Gets Its Marching Orders (March 19); Is ''Howard the Duck'' The Best of the Bad? , date=January 9, 1987, website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027140726/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-09-ca-2697-story.html , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Caulfield , first=Deborah , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-13-ca-20519-story.html , title=Sigourney Weaver: 'Just Call Me Rambolina' , date=July 13, 1986 , website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916074821/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-13-ca-20519-story.html , archive-date=September 16, 2020, url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Webber , first=Nancy , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-24-ca-17146-story.html , title=Commentary : How ''Aliens'' Mirrors Feminine Fears , date=August 24, 1986, website=
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027131017/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-24-ca-17146-story.html , archive-date=October 27, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Martin , first=Michileen , url=https://www.looper.com/798842/alien-actors-you-may-not-know-passed-away/ , title=''Alien'' Actors You May Not Know Passed Away , date=August 24, 1986, website= Looper, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730095141/https://www.looper.com/798842/alien-actors-you-may-not-know-passed-away/ , archive-date=July 30, 2022 , url-status=live, url-access=limited {{cite web , url=https://mcfarlane.com/toys/colonial-marine-corporal-hicks/ , title=Colonial Marine Corporal Hicks , website= McFarlane Toys, access-date=October 1, 2022 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20221001222819/https://mcfarlane.com/toys/colonial-marine-corporal-hicks/ , archive-date=October 1, 2022 , url-status=live {{cite web , url=https://mcfarlane.com/toys/warrior-alien-2/ , title=Warrior Alien , website= McFarlane Toys, access-date=October 1, 2022 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20221001222923/https://mcfarlane.com/toys/warrior-alien-2/ , archive-date=October 1, 2022 , url-status=live {{cite web , url=https://mcfarlane.com/toys/alien-queen/, title=Alien Queen , website= McFarlane Toys, access-date=October 1, 2022 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20221001222925/https://mcfarlane.com/toys/alien-queen/ , archive-date=October 1, 2022 , url-status=live {{Cite Metacritic , id=aliens , type=movie , title=Aliens , access-date=February 3, 2022 , url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/aliens , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008231700/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/aliens , archive-date=October 8, 2020 , url-status=dead , publisher_hide=yes {{cite web, last=Egnash , first=Martin , url=https://www.military.com/off-duty/2018/09/25/al-matthews-marine-veteran-who-played-apone-aliens-dies-75.html, title=Al Matthews, Marine Veteran Who Played Apone In ''Aliens'', Dies at 75 , website= Military.com , date=September 25, 2018 , access-date=October 25, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013155825/https://www.military.com/off-duty/2018/09/25/al-matthews-marine-veteran-who-played-apone-aliens-dies-75.html , archive-date=October 13, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=Movie Minutiae: ''Aliens'' , last=Kemble , first=Gary , website= ABC , date=December 2, 2005 , url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200511/s1513926.htm , access-date=November 14, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222042921/http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200511/s1513926.htm , archive-date=December 22, 2007 , url-status=dead {{cite web , last=Kurland , first=Daniel , url=https://screenrant.com/aliens-movie-sequel-title-not-alien-2-reason/, title=Why ''Aliens'' Isn't Called ''Alien 2'' , date=May 22, 2020 , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093621/https://screenrant.com/aliens-movie-sequel-title-not-alien-2-reason/ , archive-date=June 5, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Fear , first=David , url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/zombies-aliens-and-robots-gale-anne-hurd-on-her-greatest-hits-55081/ , title=Zombies, Aliens And Robots: Gale Anne Hurd On Her Greatest Hits, date=October 11, 2014 , website=
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
, access-date=October 27, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016193025/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/zombies-aliens-and-robots-gale-anne-hurd-on-her-greatest-hits-55081/ , archive-date=October 16, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Thompson , last=Luke Y. , title=Toy Review: Kenner's Imaginary ''Aliens'' Of The '90s Get Remade Movie-Style , url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lukethompson/2019/03/09/aliens-kenner-neca-apone/ , website=
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
, date=March 9, 2019 , access-date= November 11, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102070557/https://www.forbes.com/sites/lukethompson/2019/03/09/aliens-kenner-neca-apone/ , archive-date= November 2, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Thompson , last=Luke Y. , title=Toy Review: NECA Upsizes And Up-Details The Classic Kenner Rhino Alien , url=https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/481874-toy-review-neca-upsizes-and-up-details-the-classic-kenner-rhino-alien , website= SuperHeroHype , date=May 27, 2020 , access-date= November 11, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918074958/https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/481874-toy-review-neca-upsizes-and-up-details-the-classic-kenner-rhino-alien , archive-date= September 18, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Michaud , first=Jon , title=Slobs, Blobs, And ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/slobs-blobs-and-aliens , magazine=
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
, date=June 8, 2012 , access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920185542/https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/slobs-blobs-and-aliens , archive-date=September 20, 2020 , url-status=live , url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Harmetz , first=Aljean , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/09/movies/a-sequel-to-alien-ready-to-go-into-production.html , title=A Sequel To ''Alien'' Ready To Go into Production , date=July 9, 1985 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165147/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/09/movies/a-sequel-to-alien-ready-to-go-into-production.html , archive-date=May 24, 2015 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Goodman , first=Walter , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/18/movies/film-sigourney-weaver-in-aliens.html , title=Film: Sigourney Weaver In ''Aliens'' , date=July 18, 1986, website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727005523/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/18/movies/film-sigourney-weaver-in-aliens.html , archive-date=July 27, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, last=Harmetz , first=Aljean , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/17/movies/86-a-strong-year-for-film-industry.html , title='86 A Strong Year For Film Industry , date=January 17, 1987 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108012457/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/17/movies/86-a-strong-year-for-film-industry.html , archive-date=November 8, 2017 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , last=Settle , first=Mary Lee , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/03/movies/bidding-adieu-to-the-feminine-mystique.html, title=Bidding Adieu to the Feminine Mystique , date=May 3, 1987 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104083725/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/03/movies/bidding-adieu-to-the-feminine-mystique.html , archive-date=November 4, 2017 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web , first=Aljean , last=Harmetz , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/07/movies/hollywood-thriving-on-video-cassette-boom.html , title=Hollywood Thriving On Video-Cassette Boom , date=May 17, 1984 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=July 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705212626/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/07/movies/hollywood-thriving-on-video-cassette-boom.html , archive-date=July 5, 2020 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, last=Harmetz , first=Aljean , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/28/movies/hopes-set-on-a-few-film-hits.html , title=Hopes Set on a Few Film Hits , date=July 28, 1986 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524193605/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/28/movies/hopes-set-on-a-few-film-hits.html , archive-date=May 24, 2015 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, last=Harmetz , first=Aljean , author-link=Aljean Harmetz , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/21/movies/hollywood-s-summer-sweepstakes.html , title=Hollywood's Summer Sweepstakes , date=May 21, 1986 , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524192906/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/21/movies/hollywood-s-summer-sweepstakes.html , archive-date=May 24, 2015 , url-status=live, url-access=limited
{{cite web, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/movies/ai-blu-ray-true-lies.html , title=A.I. Made These Movies Sharper. Critics Say It Ruined Them , website=
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, date=April 13, 2024 , last1=Marsh , first1=Calum , access-date=September 3, 2024 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814085225/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/movies/ai-blu-ray-true-lies.html , archive-date= August 14, 2024, url-status=live
{{cite web , last=Charisma , first=James , title = Revenge of the Movie: 15 Sequels That Are Way Better Than The Originals , website=
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
, url = http://www.playboy.com/articles/15-sequels-better-than-the-original, date = March 15, 2016 , access-date =November 12, 2020 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160726093750/http://www.playboy.com/articles/15-sequels-better-than-the-original , archive-date = July 26, 2016 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=Steptoe , first=Sonja , url=https://people.com/archive/down-to-earth-vol-56-no-7/, title=Down To Earth , date=August 13, 2001 , website=
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
, access-date=October 25, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411203421/https://people.com/archive/down-to-earth-vol-56-no-7/ , archive-date=April 11, 2018 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last1=Corriea , first1=Alexa Ray , last2=Riendeau , first2=Danielle , title=From Atari To Isolation: A Video And Written History Of ''Alien'' Games , url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/10/3/6892091/history-of-alien-games-aliens , website=
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
, date=October 3, 2014 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108132435/https://www.polygon.com/2014/10/3/6892091/history-of-alien-games-aliens , archive-date=November 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Macek III, first=J.C., url=https://www.popmatters.com/192246-hollywood-creative-accounting-or-how-to-hide-a-hit-and-still-profit--2495541881.html?rebelltitem=8#rebelltitem8 , title=Hollywood Creative Accounting, From Atari To Isolation: A Video And Written History Of Alien Games , date=May 11, 2015 , website=
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
, access-date=October 23, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023115602/https://www.popmatters.com/192246-hollywood-creative-accounting-or-how-to-hide-a-hit-and-still-profit--2495541881.html?rebelltitem=3, archive-date=October 23, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Dean , first=Tres , title=The Reebok Alien Stomper Was Too Good For This World , url=https://www.gq.com/story/reebok-alien-stomper-history , website= GQ , date=May 5, 2020 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200823154306/https://www.gq.com/story/reebok-alien-stomper-history, archive-date=August 23, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , last=Friendly , first=David T. , url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/11/rare-pics-of-james-remar-in-james-camerons-aliens-before-he-was-fired-270054/ , title=Rare Pics Of James Remar in James Cameron's ''Aliens'' Before He Was Fired , date=November 14, 2014 , website= IndieWire, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809022156/https://www.indiewire.com/2014/11/rare-pics-of-james-remar-in-james-camerons-aliens-before-he-was-fired-270054/ , archive-date=August 9, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web , last=Brew , first=Simon , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-rare-photos-of-james-remar-as-hicks/ , title=''Aliens'': Rare Photos Of James Remar As Hicks , date=November 17, 2014 , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910104435/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens-rare-photos-of-james-remar-as-hicks/ , archive-date=September 10, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, url=https://empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/2.asp, title=''Aliens'': The Colonial Marines , website=
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, access-date=October 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312075023/https://www.empireonline.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-profiles/2.asp , archive-date=March 12, 2012 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=Ebert , first=Roger , author-link=Roger Ebert , url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/aliens-1986 , title=''Aliens'' , date=July 18, 1986 , website= RogerEbert.com, access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026055719/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/aliens-1986 , archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Boyar , first=Jay , url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1986/07/27/creepy-crawly-aliens-is-best-horror-flick-of-86/ , title=Creepy, Crawly ''Aliens'' Is Best Horror Flick Of '86 , website=
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
, date=July 27, 1986 , access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104202324/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-07-27/entertainment/0240130212_1_aliens-officer-ripley-james-cameron , archive-date=November 4, 2013, url-status=live
{{cite web , url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/08/flick-of-week-vagabond-one-of-finest-films-in-years/ , title=Flick Of Week: 'Vagabond' One Of Finest Films In Years , author-link=Gene Siskel, first=Gene , last= Siskel , website=
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
, date=August 8, 1986 , access-date=November 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004222856/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-08-08-8602270452-story.html , archive-date=October 4, 2020 , url-status=live , url-access=limited
{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes , id={{RT data, rtid, noprefix=y , type=m , title=Aliens , access-date={{RT data, access date , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017173632/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1000617-aliens , archive-date=October 17, 2020 , url-status=live , publisher_hide=yes{{RT data, edit {{cite web, title=Film Awards , website=
Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
, url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html , access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207072429/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html , archive-date=February 7, 2008 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=MacReady, first=Melody , title=''Aliens'': 10 Scenes Added in the Special Edition , url=https://screenrant.com/aliens-special-edition-scenes-ranked/ , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, date=November 15, 2020, access-date=July 28, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201144632/https://screenrant.com/aliens-special-edition-scenes-ranked/ , archive-date=February 1, 2021 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Witherow , first=Tim , title=Where Are They Now? The Cast Of ''Aliens'' , url=https://screenrant.com/where-are-they-now-aliens-cast/ , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, date=April 22, 2016 , access-date=October 18, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226084457/https://screenrant.com/where-are-they-now-aliens-cast/ , archive-date=February 26, 2019 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=Housman , first=Andrew , title=Why ''Aliens'' Cut The Derelict Deleted Scene , url=https://screenrant.com/aliens-movie-derelict-deleted-scene-cut-reason/ , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, date=February 28, 2020 , access-date=October 19, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229142528/https://screenrant.com/aliens-movie-derelict-deleted-scene-cut-reason/ , archive-date=February 29, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Beresford , first=Jack , title=20 Deleted Scenes From The Alien Movies That Changed Everything , url=https://screenrant.com/alien-movies-best-deleted-scenes-franchise-changed-everything/ , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, date=May 14, 2017 , access-date=October 19, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207163539/https://screenrant.com/alien-movies-best-deleted-scenes-franchise-changed-everything/, archive-date=December 7, 2021 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Agar , first=Chris , title=''Aliens'': James Cameron Reflects On Film's Legacy , url=https://screenrant.com/aliens-30-anniversary-james-cameron-legacy/ , website= /Film , date=July 24, 2016 , access-date=November 12, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529134958/https://screenrant.com/aliens-30-anniversary-james-cameron-legacy/ , archive-date=May 29, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Chen , first=David , title=How James Cameron Put Down A Mutiny on the Set Of ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.slashfilm.com/how-james-cameron-put-down-a-mutiny-on-the-set-of-aliens/ , website= /Film , date=December 23, 2009 , access-date=October 26, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821115119/https://www.slashfilm.com/how-james-cameron-put-down-a-mutiny-on-the-set-of-aliens/ , archive-date=August 21, 2011 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Lynch , first=Ryan , title=A Few Things You Didn't Know About James Cameron's Aliens , url=https://www.sideshow.com/blog/a-few-things-you-didnt-know-about-james-camerons-aliens/ , website= Sideshow Collectibles , date=April 24, 2017 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023225449/https://www.sideshow.com/blog/a-few-things-you-didnt-know-about-james-camerons-aliens/ , archive-date=October 23, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Cumbow, first=Robert C. , title=Summer Of '86: James Cameron's ''Aliens'' , url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-86-aliens/ , website=
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
, date=August 3, 2011 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323194613/https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-86-aliens/ , archive-date=March 23, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Riviello , first=Alex , title=Press X To Scream in Space: Every ''Alien'' Video Game Ranked , url=https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/ , website= /Film , date=May 16, 2017 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011135904/https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/ , archive-date=October 11, 2018 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Riviello , first=Alex , title=Press X To Scream in Space: Every ''Alien'' Video Game Ranked , page=2 , url=https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/2/ , website= /Film , date=May 16, 2017 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012061659/https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/2/ , archive-date=October 12, 2018 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Riviello , first=Alex , title=Press X To Scream in Space: Every ''Alien'' Video Game Ranked , page=3 , url=https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/3/, website= /Film , date=May 16, 2017 , access-date=November 11, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012065614/https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-video-games-ranked/3/ , archive-date=October 12, 2018 , url-status=live {{cite web, last1=Földesi, first1=Balázs , last2=Duncan, first2=Jody , title=''Aliens'' 30th Anniversary! Revisit Aliens Behind The Scenes at Stan Winston Studio , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-30th-anniversary , website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=August 3, 2016 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628032546/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-30th-anniversary , archive-date=June 28, 2017 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Matt , last=Winston , title=''Aliens'' – Chestburster Behind-the-scenes With Film Director And Fx Designer Stephen Norrington , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-chestburster-mechanism-behind-the-scenes , website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=September 5, 2013 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160430072232/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-chestburster-mechanism-behind-the-scenes , archive-date=April 30, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Jody , last=Duncan , title=''Aliens'' Behind The Scenes – Alien Queen Attacks Bishop! , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-movie-alien-queen-attacks-android-bishop , website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=June 5, 2012 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151102231137/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-movie-alien-queen-attacks-android-bishop , archive-date=November 2, 2015 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=''Aliens'' Movie – The Making of a Xenomorph Drone , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-movie-the-making-of-a-xenomorph-drone, website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=April 2, 2012 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401102126/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-movie-the-making-of-a-xenomorph-drone , archive-date=April 1, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Matt , last=Winston , title=''Aliens'' Behind-the-scenes: Sculpting The Alien Queen Head With Shane Mahan , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-behind-the-scenes-sculpting-alien-queen , website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=July 6, 2013 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160624001035/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-behind-the-scenes-sculpting-alien-queen , archive-date=June 24, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Jody , last=Duncan , title=Building ''Aliens'' Full-size Alien Queen Puppet , url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-alien-queen-full-size-puppet , website= Stan Winston School of Character Arts , date=August 11, 2012 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160423053655/https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/aliens-alien-queen-full-size-puppet , archive-date=April 23, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web , last=Susman, first=Gary , url=https://www.moviefone.com/2016/07/16/aliens-james-cameron-facts/ , title=''Aliens'': 11 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About James Cameron's Classic , date=July 16, 2016 , website= Moviefone, access-date=May 14, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806144617/https://www.moviefone.com/2016/07/16/aliens-james-cameron-facts/ , archive-date=August 6, 2017 , url-status=live {{cite web , last=Kubai , first=Andy L. , url=https://screenrant.com/aliens-30-year-anniversary/ , title=''Aliens'' Still Terrifies And Thrills After 30 Years , date=July 18, 2016 , website=
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
, access-date=May 14, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720131749/https://screenrant.com/aliens-30-year-anniversary/ , archive-date=July 20, 2019 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Mead , first=Syd , author-link=Syd Mead , title=The Spaceships Of Syd Mead, By Syd Mead , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-spaceships-of-syd-mead-by-syd-mead/ , website=
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, date=July 15, 2019, access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028213349/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-spaceships-of-syd-mead-by-syd-mead/ , archive-date=October 28, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Will , last=Leitch , title=This Week in Genre History: Alien Vs. Predator Came Out 16 Years Ago, And The Loser Was Us , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/alien-vs-predator-16-years-ago-loser-was-us , website= Syfy , date=August 12, 2020 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201008203243/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/alien-vs-predator-16-years-ago-loser-was-us , archive-date= October 8, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Spry , first=Jeff , title=See How James Cameron Brought LV-426 To Life in Throwback Sci-fi Book ''The Making Of Aliens'', url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/titan-books-the-making-of-aliens-j-w-rinzler, website= Syfy , date=August 24, 2020 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026183406/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/titan-books-the-making-of-aliens-j-w-rinzler, archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Williams , first=Stephanie , title=''Aliens''{{' Newt Is More Than Someone To Be Saved , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/aliens-newt-is-more-than-someone-to-be-saved, website= Syfy , date=February 25, 2020 , access-date=November 21, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316062411/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/aliens-newt-is-more-than-someone-to-be-saved , archive-date=March 16, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Freer , first=Ian , title=11 Ways James Cameron's ''Aliens'' Changed The Movies , url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/07/23/11-ways-james-camerons-aliens-changed-the-movies/ , website=
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
, date=July 23, 2016 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026032124/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/07/23/11-ways-james-camerons-aliens-changed-the-movies/ , archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Collin , first=Robbie , title=The 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time , url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-movies-all-time-100-greatest-films/ , website=
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
, date=October 15, 2020 , access-date=November 12, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107112740/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/best-movies-all-time-100-greatest-films/ , archive-date=November 7, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Valentine , first=Genevieve , title=How ''Aliens'' Set The Gold Standard For Supporting Casts , url=https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/1069-how-aliens-set-the-gold-standard-for-supporting-ca/ , website= The Dissolve , date=June 18, 2015 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719053448/https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/1069-how-aliens-set-the-gold-standard-for-supporting-ca/, archive-date=July 19, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Dave , last=Turner , title= My Guilty Pleasure: Alien Vs Predator , url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/apr/18/my-guilty-pleasure-alien-vs-predator , website=
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
, date=April 18, 2014 , access-date=November 8, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920210513/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/apr/18/my-guilty-pleasure-alien-vs-predator , archive-date= September 20, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, title=Top 1986 Movies at the Domestic Box Office , url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/domestic/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1986 , website= The Numbers , access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020002332/https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/domestic/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1986 , archive-date=October 20, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=''Aliens'' (1986) , url= https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Aliens#tab=summary , website= The Numbers , access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623152212/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Aliens , archive-date=June 23, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=Top 1986 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office , url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1986 , website= The Numbers , access-date=November 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020022106/https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1986 , archive-date=October 20, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Phipps , first=Keith , title=How William Gibson's Long-Lost ''Alien 3'' Script Became 2019's Most Intriguing Audio Drama , url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/24/18700951/william-gibson-alien-3-script-audio-drama-michael-biehn-hicks-ripley-lance-henriksen , website=
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...
, date=June 24, 2019 , access-date=October 31, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026185101/https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/24/18700951/william-gibson-alien-3-script-audio-drama-michael-biehn-hicks-ripley-lance-henriksen, archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Scott , last=Roxborough , title=Walter Hill On ''The Warriors,'' ''Aliens'' Sequels With Sigourney Weaver And What All Those ''48 Hours'' Buddy Comedy Ripoffs Get Wrong , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/walter-hill-the-warriors-48-hours-venice-2022-1235207158/ , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=September 1, 2022 , access-date=September 7, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907072652/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/walter-hill-the-warriors-48-hours-venice-2022-1235207158/ , archive-date=September 7, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web, first=Borys , last=Kit , title=New ''Alien'' Movie in the Works With ''Don't Breathe'' Filmmaker Fede Alvarez (Exclusive) , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alien-movie-fede-alvarez-20th-century-studios-1235037155/ , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=March 4, 2022 , access-date=September 7, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903040732/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alien-movie-fede-alvarez-20th-century-studios-1235037155/ , archive-date=September 3, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Couch , first=Aaron , title="Everything Had To Go Right": What Happened to 'Terminator' Star Michael Biehn , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-what-happened-star-michael-biehn-1228634 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=August 2, 2019 , access-date=November 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819182539/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-what-happened-star-michael-biehn-1228634 , archive-date=August 19, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Galuppo , first=Mia , title=Comic-Con: Sigourney Weaver Talks The Onscreen Future of Ripley At ''Aliens'' 30th Anniversary Panel , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-913983 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=July 23, 2016 , access-date=November 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921163206/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/aliens-30th-anniversary-comic-con-913983 , archive-date=September 21, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Fischer , first=Dennis , title=''Aliens'': THR's 1986 Review , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/aliens-review-1986-movie-1022037 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=July 18, 2017 , access-date=October 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026101826/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/aliens-review-1986-movie-1022037 , archive-date=October 26, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Weiner , first=David , title=Ridley Scott on the Hard Road To 'Alien', url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alien-ridley-scott-reveals-how-iconic-scene-went-wrong-1213109 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=May 24, 2019 , access-date=November 18, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001022/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alien-ridley-scott-reveals-how-iconic-scene-went-wrong-1213109 , archive-date=November 8, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Bartlett , first=Rhett , title=Al Matthews, Cigar-Chomping Sgt. Apone In ''Aliens'', Dies at 75, url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/al-matthews-dead-cigar-chomping-sgt-apone-aliens-dies-at-75-1146419/ , website=
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=September 24, 2018 , access-date=September 17, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428031054/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/al-matthews-dead-cigar-chomping-sgt-apone-aliens-dies-at-75-1146419/ , archive-date=April 28, 2022 , url-status=live
{{cite web , title=Covers from 1986 – The Vault , url=https://time.com/vault/year/1986/ , website=
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
, access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107004327/https://time.com/vault/year/1986/ , archive-date=November 7, 2020 , url-status=live
{{cite web, last=Schickel , first=Richard , author-link=Richard Schickel , title= Help! They're Back! (Page 1), url=https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839,00.html , website=
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
, access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070902231101/https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839,00.html , archive-date=September 2, 2007 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=Schickel , first=Richard , author-link=Richard Schickel , title= Help! They're Back! (Page 3), url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839-3,00.html , website=
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
, access-date=November 10, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071031042502/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839-3,00.html , archive-date=October 31, 2007 , url-status=dead
{{cite web, last=Schickel , first=Richard , author-link=Richard Schickel , title= Help! They're Back! (Page 5), url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839-5,00.html , website=
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
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{{cite web, last=Schickel , first=Richard , author-link=Richard Schickel , title= Help! They're Back! (Page 6), url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961839-6,00.html , website=
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Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
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External links

* {{IMDb title, 0090605, Aliens * {{rotten-tomatoes, 1000617-aliens, Aliens {{Alien (franchise) {{James Cameron {{David Giler {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Aliens'' , list = {{Academy Award Best Sound Editing {{Academy Award Best Visual Effects {{BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects {{Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation 1981–2002 {{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film 1972–1990 {{Subject bar, portal1=1980s, portal2=Film , portal3=United States, portal4=Science fiction, commons=yes, n=yes, wikt=yes, q=yes, d=yes, d-search=Q104814 {{Authority control 1980s American films 1980s English-language films 1980s feminist films 1980s monster movies 1986 action films 1986 films 1986 science fiction films 20th Century Fox films Alien (franchise) films American monster movies American science fiction films American sequel films Films about androids Films about suspended animation BAFTA winners (films) Brandywine Productions films Films directed by James Cameron Films produced by Gale Anne Hurd Films produced by Gordon Carroll Films produced by Walter Hill Films scored by James Horner Films set in the future Films set on fictional moons Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films shot in England Films that won the Best Sound Editing Academy Award Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award Films with screenplays by James Cameron Films with screenplays by Walter Hill Girls with guns films Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation–winning works English-language science fiction films English-language action films Saturn Award–winning films