James Cameron confirmed the rumor about ‘Aliens’

• He has confirmed a long-running rumor relating to his movie, Aliens.
• Cameron was in the meeting with 20th Century Fox executives.
• Cameron had just finished The Terminator, which was released in 1983.

 James Cameron has dutifully been making the media rounds as part of the publicity machine to promote his most recent movie, Avatar: The Way of Water. In doing so, he has confirmed a long-running rumor relating to his original pitch for his 1986 movie, Aliens.

Cameron was in a meeting with 20th Century Fox executives to pitch a screenplay idea for a follow-up to Ridley Scott’s silent, reflective, and renowned sci-fi horror, Alien. Cameron had just finished The Terminator, which was released in 1983 to a wave of hype and critical success.

According to the rumor going about, Cameron stood in front of the suits, brazen and self-assured as ever, and drew the word “ALIEN” before adding a “S” and drawing two lines down the letter to create a money sign. His confidence is made extra amusing by the admission that a different producer had originally advised him against taking on the project, saying he would either not be given credit for its success or would bear the entire burden if it failed.

During an interview with Cameron for a feature in Empire, other A-listers like Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson, Harrison Ford, and Edgar Wright asked him a series of questions. Wright raised the issue of what was widely believed to be a Hollywood urban legend, wondering if the story was factual. Cameron replied:

“I had lunch with a bigshot producer when I was about to start Aliens who said, “This is a no-win for you. If your movie’s good, Ridley will get the credit. If it’s bad, it’s all you. It’s a career-ender.” I said, “Yeah, buuuuuut… I like it.” I was maybe a dumbass fanboy, but I could see it so clearly in my head that I just had to go make it. And yes, it’s true. I was in a meeting with the studio head and the executive producers, and I turned my script over on the blank side of the last page I wrote ALIEN. Then I drew an S on the end. Then I drew two vertical lines through the S and held it up to show them. Maybe it was just Pavlovian conditioning when they saw the $ sign connected closely to the word ‘Alien’. Or maybe it was the confidence I projected. But they said yes”

Cameron’s forecast for his movie came true; it would go on to be hailed as one of the best sequels ever created (a feat he would repeat with Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and practically make back its $18.5 million budget, becoming $180 million globally. The movie’s spectacular effects are still effective today, and director James Cameron is still working with Sigourney Weaver, who played the major role in both Avatar and The Way of Water.

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