Today is Alien Day, the day fans celebrate the beloved horror franchise that began with Ridley Scott’s classic, Alien, back in 1979. Why April 26th you ask? Well, it’s a reference from Aliens, as it’s a conversion of LV-426, the designation of the moon Acheron, into the date “4/26.”
Of course, the first two Alien films are masterpieces and refreshingly distinct from one another. By the time we got to Alien 3, though, the franchise was beginning to slow down. While it’s an interesting re-watch simply because it was David Fincher’s debut feature, the movie just doesn’t hold a candle to the first two. Not to mention the opening scene, which completely tears down everything about James Cameron’s Aliens.
And the less said about Alien: Resurrection the better. There’s clones, Ron Perlman and a strange basketball scene. Scott attempted to reboot the franchise with Prometheus back in 2012, of course, but despite being visually stunning, the movie has a host of problems. Still, he continued the story with 2017’s Alien: Covenant, which underperformed, leaving the franchise in limbo at the moment.
Now that Disney owns 20th Century Studios, it’s hard to say when we’ll see the Xenomorphs again. The Mouse House plans to reboot the franchise, but that may be several years down the road. In the meantime, though, fans are celebrating Alien Day on social media with various tributes. You’ve got memes, fan art and reposts of director Neill Blomkamp’s concept art from a potential Alien 5 that never came to fruition.
See for yourself below:
It's April 26th (LV-426), when we celebrate everything xenomorph. Happy #AlienDay, everyone! #LV426 pic.twitter.com/gsvINS23gL
— Paul (@PaulHolliwoode) April 26, 2020
Happy #AlienDay !
The darkhorse alien comics were a huge deal to me growing up, being asked to draw one was a career highlight. ? pic.twitter.com/2mvdQb3KIn— Caspar Wijngaard (@Casparnova) April 26, 2020
Happy Alien Day. Remembering the great H. R. Giger and the incredible power he brought to science fiction and horror. He created an icon that has been used by and transcends several great directors. #AlienDay #AlienDay2020 pic.twitter.com/ZnQGlsZwWq
— Tedd Williamson (@Tedd_Williamson) April 26, 2020
Happy #AlienDay.
Celebrate by pouring one out for Neill Blomkamp’s ALIEN 5. It would have been the coolest. pic.twitter.com/UJCGw3xHUH
— Joshua Hull (@joshuathehull) April 26, 2020
Reminded of this funny little guy on #AlienDay#LV426 pic.twitter.com/Vzi5jxJHSJ
— James Mendur (@JamesMendur) April 26, 2020
Wise words from Ripley on #AlienDay ? pic.twitter.com/DwCK6AA4Oj
— Spirit and Wood | Alistair (@SpiritAndWood) April 26, 2020
Evolution of the creature: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986) Alien3 (1992). HR Giger designed the 1st & 3rd film's creature. James Cameron designed his own version with Stan Winston for Aliens #AlienDay #AlienDay2020 pic.twitter.com/y1Z3l2Wm09
— samosasaurus (@samosasaurus) April 26, 2020
Happy #AlienDay! Here's my commemorative picture for the occasion. pic.twitter.com/Z9u3emoaqP
— MantisAbbey (@Mantisabbey) April 26, 2020
Letting bygones be bygones. #AlienDay@GunnerGale @RealCarrieHenn pic.twitter.com/2EsujgCRi6
— Marshall Julius (@MarshallJulius) April 26, 2020
If you’re looking to celebrate Alien Day accordingly, the original Alien Quadrilogy is available to stream on HBO right now and should provide ample entertainment as you continue to self-quarantine and try to keep busy.
