Alien, the iconic sci-fi horror thriller that launched a franchise, is turning 40 this year, and 20th Century Fox is holding several events to celebrate that fact. Prime among them is a set of six short films that take place in the Alien universe, and the teaser for the mini-movies is online.
The six films feature characters in various locations and different situations trapped with creatures from the nightmarish film series. Their stories will be those of survival and trying to find a way to safety.
Among them are shorts such as Noah Miller's Alone, which finds an abandoned crew-member named Hope trapped on derelict chemical hauler Otranto who must find a way to save herself and her ship when some hidden cargo proves more dangerous than the usual supplies and Kelsey Taylor's Specimen, about a botanist and her dog facing down a marauding alien beastie. The final films were selected from 550 pitches submitted to the studio, and the winning directors were given props, storytelling elements and creatures to use.
Audiences will be able to see the first four efforts at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle on 15 March, followed by C2E2 in Chicago on 23 March. The final two shorts, both helmed by female filmmakers, will screen exclusively at WonderCon on 30 March, followed by a moderated panel with the directors. The shorts will be released weekly on IGN, starting on 29 March, then starting 3 May, they will be available on the official Alien site. Oh, and don't forget that 26 April is Alien Day, so have that letter for Xenomorph Santa ready!
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