Danny Boyle Turned Down Alien 4—Here’s Why He Walked Away & Made A Totally Different Film
Danny Boyle almost directed the fourth Alien movie but walked away to make a very different film instead. Here’s the story behind his unexpected choice.
When Danny Boyle Turned Down Alien 4 ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )
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Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic zombie film 28 Years Later is easily one of 2025’s most anticipated releases, especially among horror enthusiasts. This third entry in the 28 Days Later film series is slated to hit theatres on June 20, 2025. Diehard cinephiles might know that before directing 28 Days Later (2002), Danny Boyle had made the cult dark comedy Trainspotting (1996) and the Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer adventure drama The Beach (2000).
But what many may not know is that the Slumdog Millionaire helmer was offered the chance to direct the fourth Alien movie in the late 90s. But he turned it down and made a very different film instead. Read on to know why he walked away from Alien 4 (officially titled Alien Resurrection) and what movie he directed instead.
Here’s Why Danny Boyle Turned Down Alien 4
In a recent interview (via The Hollywood Reporter), Danny Boyle was asked how seriously he considered directing Alien 4 when it came his way. He said that he was quite serious about it, but ultimately passed because he felt he couldn’t handle the CGI (computer-generated imagery).
Here’s exactly what Danny Boyle said: “I met Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, who were attached to it. So obviously it was pretty serious. They were wonderful. But it was the early days of the CG crossover. That moment where it was transitioning. And I couldn’t handle the CG. I was very passionate about it, because I loved the Alien idea. I just suddenly had a rare moment of clarity, thinking, ‘You are not the right guy for this’.”
The Film Danny Boyle Made Instead Of Alien 4
After turning down Alien 4, Danny Boyle went on to direct a totally different film. That movie was the offbeat romantic black comedy titled A Life Less Ordinary. The film follows a janitor, Robert (played by Ewan McGregor), who kidnaps his former boss’s rich and spoiled daughter, Celine (played by Cameron Diaz). Two angels, O’Reilly (played by Holly Hunter) and Jackson (played by Delroy Lindo), are sent to Earth to check whether there is a chance of love in this peculiar scenario. The film received mixed reviews from critics and didn’t perform well at the box office.
More About Alien Resurrection
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the fourth installment of the sci-fi horror film series is set 200 years after Alien 3. The story follows Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver), who is cloned by scientists performing experiments on the Xenomorphs. But all hell breaks loose when the deadly creatures escape. Now, it’s up to the part-human, part-alien Ripley to join forces with a team of mercenaries to stop the aliens from reaching Earth. The film got mixed reviews from critics and didn’t perform as well at the box office as the preceding Alien films.
