Some of Ridley Scott’s debut films have become classics of science fiction, yet they “did not shoot at the box office,” prompting many to encourage the director to make more standard films intended for the general public.
In the podcast “Director’s Cut” (via Business Insider), Scott recalled a conversation with the head of one of the famous studios, who urged him to leave behind heavy themes, strange characters, and visually stunning worlds in favor of more standard films about normal people.
“I asked: ‘What the hell does that mean?’ You can’t be normal if you’re not boring, right?”, says Scott.
The director did not name the head of the studio or the date, but it is likely about the 1980s when “Alien” and “Blade Runner” were released — films highly praised by critics and audiences, yet they did not achieve high box office earnings (the first earned about $78 million worldwide, and the second — $39 million).
“The first four films were quite good. So I knew I was on the right track,” added Scott.
The movie “Alien” started an entire franchise, which continued with six more films, including “Romulus” by Fede Alvarez, which came out this year. In total, the series has earned $1.98 billion. In March, we also expect the first television series from the ‘Aliens’ universe.
“Blade Runner” also received a sequel with the 2017 movie, which grossed $258 million, and an upcoming Amazon Prime Video series.
Scott has his own thoughts on why his first films did not achieve financial success:
“These are good movies, so something is deeply wrong with the audience or the marketing. But you know, I’m not angry. I’m very happy with what I have.”
Recall that earlier, Ridley Scott called his movie “Prometheus” a failure of the ‘Aliens’ franchise, whereas this year’s “Gladiator 2” he considered “the best in his career.”
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