The Alien series has hidden a surprising number of deleted scenes over the years, some of which are shockingly important to the overall lore of the franchise. Kicking of with Ridley Scott’s Alien in 1979, the touchstone sci-fi horror series has gone on to spawn many sequels, cross-overs, and spin-offs. Throughout all of the Alien films, many great scenes barely didn’t make the theatrical cut, forever banished to languish in obscurity as DVD, Blu-ray or even laserdisc extras.
Early on in the series’ life, Ridley Scott was forced to abandon many ideas due to budgetary constraints, the expensive practical effects limiting the scope of the script and resulting in many re-writes. Thus, few deleted scenes that were entirely shot were left on the cutting room floor, even then likely to be recycled into the extended editions of the first four movies, showing off alternate ways their stories could’ve panned out. Later on, with the series revival alongside the release of Prometheus, some baffling decisions were made to exclude important expository scenes from the final cuts of the films.
10 Ripley Mercy Kills A Cocooned Dallas
Alien, 1979
Towards the end of the first film, the crew of the Nostromo have been picked apart one by one, save for final girl Ellen Ripley. One deleted scene put her survival into a new context, as she stumbles across a cocooned Dallas, begging for the release of death while entombed within the disturbing organic structure of the Xenomorph’s design. Ripley sadly obliges, cleansing the entire mini-hive with her flamethrower before moving on. While this chilling scene endears Ripley to the audience even further as a survivor, taking the time to euthanize her hapless colleagues, it would’ve killed the pacing of the film’s frantic final act.
9 Emergency Crew Meeting
Alien, 1979
Following the Kane’s shocking death by chestburster, the crew of the Nostromo had an extended scene debating among themselves what to do next as the deadly Xenomorph prowls loose in the ship. Clearly axed mid-production, this deleted scene was only shot from a single angle, putting the entire crew in the picture as the tension rises over the course of their arguments. It’s a shame this scene wasn’t expanded upon, considering that the crew springing immediately into action following the death of their colleague without taking time to collect themselves and plan their next move was a little unbelievable.
8 Kane’s Condition
Alien, 1979
Before Kane’s chestburster ripens enough to rip its way through, the crew examines him as he lies motionless in the medical bay, unconscious but alive. Ash in particular takes a keen interest in Kane’s condition, clearly operating from a point of scientific curiosity rather than personal empathy for his fellow crewmate. Ash’s identity as an android sent to secure a specimen of the Xenomorph is evoked here, as Ripley points out the presence of a lump in Kane’s lungs, which Ash pretends not to notice or recognize. Sadly, Ian Holm’s subtle performance here hinting at Ash’s true intentions wasn’t in the final cut.
7 Burke Is Cocooned
Aliens, 1986
Almost identical to the deleted scene from the first film, Aliens once again had Ripley responsible for mercy killing another hapless victim cocooned by the Xenomorphs, as Burke was to encounter Ripley a final time. This time around, she’s much more stoic, as the same man that had tried to kill her earlier in the film now begs her to finish him off, describing the sensation of the chestburster wiggling around in his torso. Ripley’s response is to quietly hand him a live grenade, firmly making the transition from horror movie survivor to action-horror heroine while still retaining her humanity.
6 The Sentry Guns Go Off
Aliens, 1986
Before the colonial marines officially make contact with the Xenomorph horde, one deleted scene almost ratcheted the tension as high as it could go as the aliens made contact with the marines’ automated defenses. The scene depicted Ellen and the marines watching nervously as their robotic sentry turrets chewed through the horde of advancing beasts. The fast editing of the sequence induces the anxiety of the impeding alien attack as the protagonists wearily watch the turrets’ ammo reserves deplete over time, barely being enough to fend off the monsters. Luckily, this scene was reincorporated into the director’s cut of Aliens, which has become the more standard edit of the film over time.
5 The Runner Alien Is Born From An Ox, Rather Than A Dog
Alien³, 1992
As the films progressed from escaping a claustrophobic environment with a single alien to overcoming a whole Xenomorph swarm complete with a queen, Alien³ needed to up the stakes. The solution? Aliens born from non-human animals, granting them more ferocious, bestial capabilities and an unstoppable killer instinct. The final edit explains the distinctive “Runner” alien as being born from a dog, but an alternate scene opts to show the creature ripping its way out of an Ox host instead. Intercut with a sermon from Charles S. Dutton’s brilliant performance, this dramatic variation of the Runner alien’s birth would’ve been a worthy substitution.
4 Alien Resurrection’s Alternate Ending
Alien Resurrection, 1997
The last of the Alien films to feature Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ellen Ripley (Or at least, a clone of her), Alien Resurrection is sadly considered one of the worst films in the Alien franchise. That being said, it still has a fantastic deleted scene that may have increased its ranking by a few points. More of an alternate take on the film’s ending, this variation sees Ripley 8 arrive on Earth alongside Analee Call, taking a page out of Planet of the Apes‘ book by dramatically revealing a destroyed Eiffel Tower. This alternate ending is a great payoff to the long-unanswered question of Earth’s status in the Alien universe.
3 “They’re Teenagers”
Alien vs Predator, 2004
The hotly-anticipated crossover disappointed many fans of both Alien and Predator franchises in 2004, neutering the brutality of both series with a PG-13 ratings. Still, the movie delivered a watchable action mystery that finally linked the two extraterrestrial species, with a team of adventurers uncovering the long history of Xenomorph and Predator conflict on Earth. One deleted scene has protagonists Lex Woods and Professor De Rosa make the startling, yet humorous discovery that the Predators on Earth are only teenagers, undergoing a ritual to prove their adulthood. This odd, yet accurate observation is a brief moment of levity in the terror, and would’ve been appreciated as a small beat.
2 The Engineer Speaks
Prometheus, 2012
Prometheus was a daring return to form for the Alien franchise, providing some answers to long-standing series questions while raising others fans didn’t know they had. Strangely, a crucial exchange of dialogue was cut between the revived engineer and the ancient Peter Weyland, translated by the android David. While the Engineer doesn’t speak in the theatrical release, an extended version of the scene where he emerges from the stasis pod has him explain his race’s role in creating life on Earth, and why they came to despise the human race. It’s baffling that this exchange didn’t make it into the final version of Prometheus considering how critical the conversation was the series’ lore.
1 David Explains Everything
Alien: Covenant, 2017
Definitively concluding the Xenomorph’s origin story that began with Prometheus, Alien: Covenant suffered similarly from the removal of crucial exposition. The film ultimately reveals that David created the Xenomorphs, but glosses over the how and why just a little too quickly. The fantastic deleted montage of David’s explanation provides all the chilling context necessary, unveiling how the android created the killing machines from the Engineer’s black goo using Dr. Shaw’s body as a base. This masterfully-crafted sequence being scrapped from the prequel film is perhaps the biggest missed opportunity in the entire Alien franchise.
