Alien

The Unsung Legacy of Dan O’Bannon, Part II

With ALIEN, Dan O’Bannon helped create one of the most iconic science fiction horror films of all time. But as was so often the case in his career, his name was left behind while others took the spotlight.

In this two-part deep dive, we trace the full story behind ALIEN—beginning with its origins as a scrappy concept hatched during the production of DARK STAR, through its early days as a rejected Roger Corman project, and finally to its transformation into a big-budget studio film at 20th Century Fox. Along the way, we explore O’Bannon’s key role in shaping the story, his collaboration with producer Walter Hill, and the hiring of a then-unknown director named Ridley Scott.

We also dig into the film’s iconic production—from the casting of Sigourney Weaver to the hiring of artist H.R. Giger—and examine how ALIEN’s massive success influenced the genre, launched a franchise, and impacted O’Bannon’s career (spoiler: not always for the better).

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.