James Cameron’s 1986 film Aliens wasn’t just a smash; it set the series up for continued success. In addition to outgrossing the 1979 Ridley Scott classic, the ending gave the franchise a great place to start a subsequent story, as well as three new heroes—Newt, Hicks, and Bishop—to go along with Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. When a sequel came out six years later, though, none of that happened, and even though it’s been almost 40 years, James Cameron has thoughts. “I thought that was the stupidest fucking thing,” he said.
Speaking to Hicks himself, Michael Biehn, on Biehn’s podcast, Cameron was asked about the decision in 1992’s Alien 3 to kill the young character Newt in the opening credits. “You spent the last third of your movie saving her,” Biehn pointed out. “Yeah, exactly,” Cameron said. “So, you build a lot of goodwill around the characters of Hicks, Newt, and Bishop. And then the first thing they do in the next film is kill them all off. Really smart, guys.”
Cameron continued, “And replace them with a bunch of fucking convicts that you hate and want to see die, right? Really clever.”
Alien 3 was directed by David Fincher and famously had a pretty troubled production. So Cameron did give the director of Zodiac, Fight Club, and The Social Network a pass. “Now I’m a big fan of Fincher and his work and all that,” Cameron added. “That was his first feature film, and he was getting vectored around by a lot of other voices and all that, so I give him a free pass on that one.”
But, Biehn pointed out, “He was handed a bowl of shit.” Cameron agreed.
The choice of Alien 3 to kill those characters is one that has been debated for years, with fans falling on both sides. Many side with Cameron, seeing their deaths as a wasted opportunity. Others see it as a great way to raise the emotional stakes and buck up against expectations. (Many early versions of Alien 3 did have those characters play a role in the plot, but that got changed over the years.)
Wherever you stand, though, you 100% understand Cameron’s frustration four decades later about the dismissal of his work, which is clearly some of the best in the franchise. He went on to briefly discuss Neill Blomkamp’s attempts to return to the franchise as well as his enjoyment of Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus. You can watch it all below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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![A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Backrooms-1280x853.jpg)
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