Ridley Scott regrets being forced to pick between Alien: Covenant and Blade Runner 2049

Back in 2014, before the orcas rebelled and before the virus hit, there was a time when Ridley Scott was in high demand. 20th Century Fox wanted him to create another Alien movie, while Warner Bros. wanted him to make another Blade Runner film. This was before Jurassic World and The Force Awakens took over the box office, and the prospect of revisiting a beloved film franchise was still new and exciting. Scott must have felt on top of the world! However, one of the studios developed an unsightly trait: jealousy. Scott was forced to pick between Alien: Covenant and Blade Runner 2049, and he chose the Xenomorphs, or at least a prototype version of them, over Rick Deckard and the replicants. Ultimately, everything turned out well, with Covenant receiving positive reception and many arguing that 2049 was superior to the original Blade Runner. Nevertheless, Scott has expressed some regrets about the decision. In a recent Empire article, he stated, “I shouldn’t have had to make that decision, but I had to.” This implies that Fox made him choose between the two projects, and while he chose Covenant, he also admitted that he “should have done Blade Runner 2.” It’s an interesting “what if” scenario to consider, as 2049 was highly acclaimed in our reality, although Villeneuve likely worked from a similar script that Scott would have used. Perhaps the cast would have been different, or maybe Harrison Ford wouldn’t have been as willing to participate. Either way, Scott will still have a taste of his “return to Blade Runner” dream, as he is executive producing Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099 series. We don’t have much information about the series, but it will likely touch upon significant events from 2049, such as the revelation that replicants can have children. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Scott is now working on a Gladiator sequel, proving that he is still highly sought after. (However, if Scott had directed 2049, who would be making the Dune movies now???)