Forty-five years after its release, it’s time to have your chest burst all over again. Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, Alien, is coming back to theaters later this month, to both celebrate the film’s anniversary and to prep audiences for its latest follow-up, Alien: Romulus.
The screenings are happening on—when else?—Alien Day, April 26, and tickets are on sale now wherever tickets are sold. Here’s a TV spot to celebrate the occasion, and remind you of the film’s brilliance.
Starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto, Alien follows the crew of a spaceship ordered to investigate a mysterious planet. There, they encounter an unstoppable alien creature that proceeds to pick off the crew one by one. Will anyone survive? Can anyone survive? Spoiler, there are now six direct sequels so yes.
This original Alien also acts as a table-setter for Alien: Romulus, which opens August 16. Set after the events of Alien, but before the events of Aliens, it seems to be telling a similar story of a similar ship on a similar mission. Several new clips played last week at CinemaCon and teased a whole other level of violence and fear for the franchise.
As a bonus to go along with the movie itself, these Alien screenings will also feature a conversation between original Alien director Ridley Scott and Romulus director Fede Alvarez about the importance of the first film. Here’s a short preview of that.
Are you a big Alien fan? Will you be heading out to see the film on Alien Day? Let us know 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.
