The first of six official Alien universe shorts has been released today by IGN. Titled Alien: Containment, the short was written and directed by Chris Reading, and is a chest-bursting return to the franchise's roots.
In Alien: Containment (watch below), “Four survivors find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. Trying to piece together the details around the outbreak that led to their ship’s destruction, they find themselves unsure to trust whether or not one of them might be infected.”
20th Century Fox partnered with Tongal to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alien by allowing die-hard fans to submit their pitches for Alien short films, over 550 entries were received, and six filmmakers were selected to bring their visions to life!
The filmmakers were given unprecedented access to the franchise, including storytelling elements, creatures, and characters, to bring a new, terrifying experience to life for audiences. Each of the six shorts brings forth an exciting new narrative for fans while paying homage to the original film.
The shorts will be released weekly at 12PM EST/9AM PST on IGN, and beginning May 3rd, they'll be available on the official @AlienAnthology social channels and AlienUniverse.com, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Alien: 40th Anniversary Shorts Synopses and Premiere Dates:
April 5th: ALIEN: Specimen - It’s the night shift in a colony greenhouse, and Julie, a botanist, does her best to contain suspicious soil samples that have triggered her sensitive lab dog. Despite her best efforts the lab unexpectedly goes into full shutdown and she is trapped inside. Little does she know, an alien specimen has escaped the mysterious cargo, and a game of cat and mouse ensues as the creature searches for a host. Directed by Kelsey Taylor
April 12th: ALIEN: Night Shift - When a missing space trucker is discovered hungover and disoriented, his co-worker suggests a nightcap as a remedy. Near closing time, they are reluctantly allowed inside the colony supply depot where the trucker’s condition worsens, leaving a young supply worker alone to take matters into her own hands. Written and Directed by Aidan Brezonick
April 19th: ALIEN: Ore - As a hard-working miner of a planet mining colony, Lorraine longs to make a better life for her daughter and grandchildren. When her shift uncovers the death of a fellow miner under mysterious circumstances, Lorraine is forced to choose between escape or defying management orders and facing her fears to fight for the safety of her family. Written and Directed by the Spear Sisters
April 26th: ALIEN: Harvest - The surviving crew of a damaged deep-space harvester have minutes to reach the emergency evacuation shuttle. A motion sensor is their only navigation tool leading them to safety while a creature in the shadows terrorizes the crew. However, the greatest threat might have been hiding in plain sight all along. Directed by Benjamin Howdeshell
April 26th: ALIEN: Alone - Hope, an abandoned crew member aboard the derelict chemical hauler Otranto, has spent a year trying to keep her ship and herself alive as both slowly fall apart. After discovering hidden cargo, she risks it all to power up the broken ship in search of human life. Written and Directed by Noah Miller