Alien³ (1992)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1992
Running Times: 110 mins (UK)     114 mins (Netherlands)     115 mins (Spain; USA)
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm (Kodak 5296)     70mm (blow up)     Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.20:1 (70mm prints)     2.35:1
Sound: 70mm 4-Track (on 70mm prints)     Dolby SR

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox/Brandywine Productions
Executive Producer: Ezra Swerdlow
Producers: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill
Co-Producer: Sigourney Weaver
Production Manager: Jeannie Stone
Unit Production Manager: Edward D. Markley
Production Supervisor (UK/US): Patricia Carr, Giedra Rackauskas
Production Supervisor (LA): Janine Lodge, Gretchen Van Zeebroeck

SCRIPT
Script: Larry Ferguson, David Giler, Walter Hill
Story: Vincent Ward
Characters: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett

DIRECTION
Director: David Fincher
Re-shoot Director: Jon Landau
Assistant Director: Chris Carreras, Marcia Gay, Jamie Christopher, Richard Styles
Assistant Directors (LA): Josh McLaglen, Xochi Blymer, Richard 'Dub' Wright
2nd Unit Director: Martin Brierley
2nd Unit Assistant Directors: Ken Shane, Nick Heckstall-Smith
2nd Unit Director, Action Seqs: David Hogan
2nd Unit Assistant Directors, Action Seqs: Steve Harding, Terry Madden, Chris Brock

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Alex Thomson
Additional Director of Photography: Mark Plummer, Gary B. Kibbe
Camera Operators: David Worley, David Hardberger, Scott Beattie
Camera Operators (LA): Frederick J. Smith, William D. Barber
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Nic Morris, Paul Beeson
2nd Unit Camera Operator: Mike Frift
Digital Camera Operator: Stephen Stanton
Camera Assistant: Mike Bienstock
Action Sequences Director of Photography: Tony Spratling
Action Sequences Camera Operators: Neil Binney, Wally Byatt
Steadicam Operator: Peter Robinson
Video Playback: Thomas Loewy
Video Co-Ordinator: Janet Earl
Lighting: Michael Samuelson Lighting
Louma Crane: Samuelson Alga Cinéma
Technocrane: Technovision
Laboratory: Rank Film Laboratories, Denham, UK

EDITING
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Negative Cutting: Sunrise Film Inc

MUSIC
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Additional Orchestrations: Robert Elhai
Music Director: Jonathan Sheffer
Music Producer: Matthias Gohl
Supervising Music Editor: Craig Pettigrew
Music Co-Ordinator: Christopher Brooks
Synthesiser Programming: Richard Martinez
Song: Rick Evans (In the Year 2325 (Exordium and Terminus))
Music Recording: Joel Iwataki, Tim Boyle

SOUND
Sound Designer: Harry Snodgrass
Supervising Sound Editors: Gary S. Gerlich S Ed: Gregory M. Gerlich, Richard Le Grand Jnr, Elliot I. Koretz, William Jacobs, Teri E. Dorman, Edward Sandlin
ADR Voice Supervisor: Barbara Harris
ADR Editors: William C. Carruth, Juno J. Ellis, Michele Perrone, Petra Bach, Jim Shields
ADR Recording: Peter Lacey, Charleen Richards, Brad Brock
Sup Foley Editors: Victoria Martin, Jerry Michael Jacobson
Foley Artists: David Lee Fein, Ken Dufva
Sound Recording: Tony Dawe, Bob Renga
Sound Recording (LA): Donald H. Matthews
Re-Recording: Sergio Reyes, Chris David, Richard Overton
Dolby Stereo Consultant: Douglas Greenfield

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up Supervisor: Peter Robb-King Weaver's
Make Up: Linda Devetta
Chief Make Up Artists: Nick Dudman, Jane Royle
Make Up Artist (LA): Susan A. Cabral
Chief Hair Stylist: Colin Jamison
Costume Designer: David Perry, Bob Ringwood
Wardrobe Supervisor: Janet Tebrooke
Wardrobe Master: Joe Hobbs
Wardrobe Mistress: Yvonne Hobbs
Wardrobe (LA): John Casey, Victoria Snow

SPECIAL MAKE UP
Special Make Up Effects: Greg Cannom

SPECIAL EFFECTS
65 mm Special Visual Effects: Boss Film
Visual Effects Producer/Supervisor: Richard Edlund
Visual Effects Co-Supervisor: Rick Fichter
Visual Effects Line Producer: Donna Langston
Visual Effects Production Supervisor: Ellen Somers
Visual Effects Co-Ordinator: Julia Rivas
Visual Effects Co-Ordinator (UK): Russ Woolnough
Visual Effects Editor: Tim Grover, Robert Wait
Visual Effects Art Director: David Jones
Special Effects Supervisor: George Gibbs
Special Effects Foreman: Bill Klinger
Special Effects Foreman (LA): Joe Ramsey
Special Effects Co-Ordinators: Al Disarro, William Aldridge
Ultraviolet Effects: Wildfire Inc
Special Effects Trainee: Matthew Harlow (uncredited)
Alien Effects Designers/Creators: Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff
Alien Effects Crew: Gino Acevedo, Chris Halls, David Leroy Anderson, Gary Pollard, Dave Elsey, Dave Keen, Yuri Everson, Mitchell Coughlin, Dave Nelson, Mark Coulier, Jeremy Hunt, Paul Dunn, Julian Caldow, Mike Scanlan, N. Brock Winkless, Peter Abrahamson, Wayne Toth, Norman Cabrera, John Teska, José Fernandez, Norman Tempia, Anthony Allen Barlow, Roger Borelli, Chris Hunt, Ian Morse, Steve Norrington, Cathy MacDonald, Karen Lafler, Brendan Lonegan
Original Alien Designer: H.R. Giger
Opticals (UK): G.S.E. Ltd
Optical Department Supervisor: Michael Sweeney
Optical Director of Photography: Fred Lin, Robert Montgomery, Bruce Manning
Optical Supervisor: Ron Longo, Michael Cooper
Optical Co-Ordinator: Kim Shriver
Optical Line-Ups: Mary Walter, Kevin Clark, Phil Janssens
Matte Department Supervisor: Michelle Moen
Matte Photography: Alan Harding
Matte Painter: Paul Lasaine
Miniature Photography: David Stewart
Digital Effects Supervisor: Jim Rygiel
Animation Supervisor: Mauro Maressa
Animation Camera Operator: Colin Campbell
Rotoscope Supervisor: Annick Therrien
Rotoscope Artists: Nina Salerno, Maura Alvarez, Jammie Friday
Motion Control Camera Operators: Steve Kosakura (Kasukura?)
Video Medical Scan Graphics/Displays: Video Image, Rhonda C. Gunner, Richard E. Hollander, Gregory I. McMurray, John C. Wash
Flying Wire Specialist: Bob Wiesinger
Model Shop Supervisor: David Jones
Model Shop Co-Ordinator: Christopher Bowler
Lead Modelmakers: John Michael Eaves, Patrick McClung
Modelmakers: Gerald McClung, David Montgomery, Douglas Miller, Michael Possert, Paul Ozzimo, John Ferrari, Robert Johnston, Robert De Palma
Alien Puppet Director of Photography: Rick Fichter
Lead Puppeteer: Laine (Lane?)
Liska Puppeteer: Craig Talmy
Titles/Opticals: Pacific Title
UK Opticals: G.S.E. Ltd
Technical Supervisor: Philip Crescenzo
CGI Technical Director: Colin Olson, Mary McCulloch, Andrea Losch
Effects Gaffer: Victor Abbene

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designers: Norman Reynolds, Michael White (uncredited)
Supervising Art Director: Fred Hole
Art Director (UK): James Morahan
Art Director (LA): Gene Nollman, Christopher Burian-Mohr
Set Decorator: Belinda Edwards
Set Decorator (LA): Mickey S. Michaels
Title Designer: John Beach, Black Box
Storyboards: Martin Asbury, Bill Stallion, Mike Swift
Opening Sequence Storyboards: Brent Boates
Conceptual Artists: Gregory Pruss, Jake Scott
Conceptual Architect: Lebbeus Woods
Senior Draughtsman: Ted Ambrose
Draughtsmen: Mike Boone, Andrew Ackland-Snow
Additional Illustrations: Steve Berg
Scenic Artist: Brian Bishop

OTHER CREW
Trainee Script Supervisor: Sharon Mansfield (uncredited)
Publicity: Terry Clifford
Sculptors: Roy Rodgers, Jan Stevens
Production Assistant: Marc Hammer
Armourer: Simon Atherton
Animal Trainers: Paul Calabria, Karen Dew
Animal Handler: Mike Culling
Catering: Busters on Location
Firemen: First Unit Fire and Safety
Publicity Assistant: Judy Britten (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Locations: Blyth Power Station, Northumberland, England, UK; Dawdon Beach, County Durham, England, UK; Los Angeles, California, USA
Studio: Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Location Managers: Gilly Case, Kevin De la Noy

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Marc Boyle
Stunts: Simon Crane, Nick Gillard, Paul Jennings, Sean McCabe, Rann Miner, Val Musetti, Mark Newman

CASTING
Casting (US): Billy Hopkins
Casting (UK): Priscilla John
Extras Casting: Central Casting

CAST
Sigourney Weaver (Ripley)
Charles S. Dutton (Dillon)
Charles Dance (Clemens)
Paul McGann (Golic)
Brian Glover (Superintendent Andrews)
Ralph Brown (Aaron)
Daniel Webb (Morse)
Christopher John Fields (Rains)
Holt McCallany (Junior)
Lance Henriksen (Bishop)
Chris Fairbank (Murphy)
Carl Chase (Frank)
Leon Herbert (Boggs)
Vincenzo Nicoli (Jude)
Pete Postlethwaite (David)
Paul Brennen (Troy)
Clive Mantle (William)
Peter Guiness (Gregor)
Dhobi Oparei (Arthur)
Philip Davis (Kevin)
Niall Buggy (Eric)
Hi Ching (company man)
Danielle Edmond (Newt)

Lt Ripley finds herself stranded on a prison planet when her lifepod crash lands. She and the population of hardened male prisoners are forced to take on an alien that hatches from a dog - but Ripley may have even worse problems than she imagined...

The third installment of the Alien saga is, by any standards, a huge disappointment. Compromised by producer mis-management, director David Fincher (here making his feature debut) does what he can but is let down by a badly conceived script. It doesn't help much that everyone in the film looks alike and and are almost all entirely unlikeable.

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox of Germany

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Manuel Salvador

UK
Video Distributor: Fox Video 5593 (widescreen WS5593)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Laserdisc Distributor: CBS/Fox

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: -12

Germany
Rating: 16

Ireland
Rating: 18

Netherlands
Rating: 12

Norway
Rating: 18

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1992
Academy Awards
Nomination: Best Special Effects

1991
January
14: Production begins at Pinewood studios

1992
May
22: USA - theatrical release

August
21: UK - theatrical release
22: Japan - theatrical release
26: France - theatrical release
28: Finland - theatrical release

September
3: Germany - theatrical release
11: Spain - theatrical release
25: Sweden - theatrical release

1994
February
19: UK TV (Sky Movies)

November
22: USA TV (Fox Network)

1995
September
9: UK TV (Carlton Television)

1997
June
23: UK TV (ITV)

1999
January
3: UK TV (ITV)

The bitch is back

This time it's hiding in the most terrifying place of all

Our worst fears have come true. It's back!

3 times the terror

Start running...again

Alien 3 - alternative spelling
Alien 3 - Die Wiedergeburt - German title

SEQUEL TO
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)

SEQUEL
Alien: Resurrection (1997)

SEE ALSO
Waxwork II: Lost In Time (1991)

MAGAZINES

American Cinematographer December 1992 pp.70-76
illustrated article (Speeding Up the Screams in Alien 3 by Ron Magid)

Cineaction! no.30 (Winter 1992) pp.54-62
illustrated article (Explorations, Prosthetics and Sacrifice by Carol Moore and Geoff Miles)

Cinefantastique vol.21 no.4 (February 1991) p.12
production note

Cinefantastique June 1992 pp.8-21

Cinefex no.50 (May 1992) pp.26-53
illustrated article (Zealots and Xenomorphs by Bill Norton)

The Dark Side September 1992 pp.28-29
review

Empire September 1992 pp.24-25, 60-69
review (by Kim Newman), illustrated interview with Sigourney Weaver (Return to the Forbidden Planet by Garth Pearce)

Empire no.32 (February 1992) p.74
illustrated note (by anonymous)

Empire December 1998 p.156

Films and Filming no.411 (January 1989) p.42
letter from Jack Fielder asking if there will be a third film; answer from David McGillivray

Films In Review vol.43 no.7/8 (July/ August 1992)
review (by James W. Welsh)

Focus Magazine n14 (1994)
illustrated article (Containing Horror: The Alien Trilogy and the Abject by Joseph Chien)

Gorezone 18 p.65

Hollywood Reporter v316 n11 (8 February 1991) pp.1, 55
article (UK Alien 3 shoot threatened by strike by anonymous)

Impact September 1992 p.26

Interview vol.22 no.6 (June 1992) p.30
illustrated review (by Henry Cabot Beck)

Media International Australia no.78 (November 1995) pp.44-47
article (Queer White Woman as Spectator by Hilary Harris)

Positif n379 (September 1992)

Premiere (USA) vol.5 no.7 (March 1992) p.99
letter (from Chris Epstein questioning whether the newly bald Sigourney Weaver was playing a male or female character in Alien 3)

Premiere (USA) vol.5 no.9 (May 1992) pp.62-70
illustrated interview with David Fincher (Mother From Another Planet by John H. Richardson)

Satellite Times February 1994 pp.14-15
illustrated interview with Sigourney Weaver (by anonymous); review of Alien War (by anonymous); illustrated article (by anonymous)

Screen International no.747 (10 March 1990) p.15
production notes (by Leonard Klady)

Screen International no.761 (16 June 1990) p.11
production notes (by Leonard Klady)

Screen International no.790 (18 January 1991) p.56
credits

Screen International no.861 (12 June 1992) p.16
credits, review by Patricia Dobson

Sight and Sound August 1992 pp.46-47
credits, synopsis, review

Sight and Sound vol.3 no.3 (March 1993) p.58
note on UK video rental release (by Mark Kermode)

Sight and Sound vol.3 no.11 (November 1993) p.60
note about UK video release (by Peter Dean)

Starburst no.165 (May 1992) pp.36-39
illustrated article (by Stewart Jamieson)

Starburst no.166 (June 1992) p.5
illustrated production details (by Michael Courtland)

Starburst no.168 (August 1992) pp.7-8, 36-39
production notes (Alienating by Michael Courtland); illustrated interview with Sigourney Weaver (Three Times a Lady Part 1 by Stewart Jamieson)

Starburst no.169 (September 1992) pp.40-43, 44-46
illustrated interview with Sigourney Weaver (Three Times a Lady Part 2 by Stewart Jamieson); Illustrated review (by Alan Jones)

Starburst no.171 (November 1992) p.50
illustrated review (by John Brosnan)

Starburst Yearbook 1992 pp.57-61
illustrated interview with Richard Edlund (Alien 3 Effects by Stewart Jamieson)

Starburst Special n15 (April 1993) pp.9-16
illustrated interview with David Fincher (David Fincher's Alien 3 Nation by Mark Burman)

Variety 25 May 1992 pp.49, 56, 57
illustrated review (by Brian Lowry)

Video Watchdog no.14 pp.6-7
review

BOOKS

The A-Z of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films p.16
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films IV p.9
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
review source material, credits

KEYWORDS

Alien, aliens, prisoners, dogs, animals, androids, furnaces, autopsies, cryogenics, the future, immolation, prisons, religion, sequels, spacecraft, space, space travel, xenomorphs

Last Updated: 23 August, 2009