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Alien: The Archive is a 2014 behind the scenes book covering the production of the four films of the Alien franchise, written by Mark Salisbury and published by Titan Books.[1] It was published on October 28, 2014.

Publisher's Summary[]

A GROUNDBREAKING MASTERPIECE
A SCIENCE FICTION MILESTONE
A BLEAK, NIGHTMARISH VISION
A BOLD NEW DIRECTION

Alien is one of the most original, thrilling, and beautiful franchises in cinema history. From Ridley Scott's elegant horror masterpiece and James Cameron's visceral and heart-pounding Aliens, to David Fincher's nihilistic Alien3, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's twisted Alien Resurrection, these are the films that birthed a monster and a cultural phenomenon.

Alien: The Archive is a beautiful celebration of these landmark films, delving deep into the process of how all four films were created. From the earliest script ideas to final cut, this book showcases the making of the series in exhaustive and exclusive detail. Featuring storyboards from Ridley Scott, exclusive concept designs from Ron Cobb and Syd Mead, behind-the-scenes imagery of the Xenomorphs being created, deleted scenes, unused ideas, costumes, weapons, and much more.

This must have retrospective also includes brand new interviews with Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, H.R. Giger, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Jenette Goldstein, and those whose vision and originality created a cinema legend.

This book is for all fans of Alien, art lovers, and cinema and science fiction historians. Alien: The Archive is the final word on the series and showcases the breathtaking creation of a terrifying and beautiful filmic nightmare.

Development[]

The book is the first to cover the production of all four films in the science-fiction horror franchise[1] and provides an in-depth look into the process of how the films were created, from the earliest script ideas through to the final theatrical release.[2] It contains a wealth of materials from the production crew involved in each of the films.[2]

Alien The Archive orignal cover

The cover included in the press release.[3]

The book was first announced in a February 18, 2014 press release by 20th Century Fox concerning their plans to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Alien. It was announced the book was to be published by Titan Books and described as "a 35th anniversary retrospective called ‘ALIEN: Archives’ which will be the most comprehensive book ever created about the ALIEN franchise with new exclusive interviews with Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver and content that has never been released." An image of the cover, which featured the subtitle "THE CREATION OF A SCI-FI ICON" (instead of "THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE CLASSIC MOVIE" like on the final version) and, unlike the final cover, included Mark Salisbury's name beneath the title.[3]

In late February 2015 (sometime on or before February 23),[4] Titan Books put a limited edition version of the book with exclusive clamshell case, dust jacket and tip-in sheet for sale on their website "Titan Exclusives". The case is presented as an artefact from the Nostromo, featuring an acid burn, a Nostromo data plate and directives from Mother. The case also includes a ribbon for removal of the book. The dust jacket features an orange outline drawing of the Alien on the front and "IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM" also in orange on the back. The tip-in sheet features illustrations by Ridley Scott from his early sketches for Alien.

125 numbered copies were made, with 50 signed by Scott and 75 copies by Ripley actress Sigourney Weaver. Pre-ordering the book cost £150.00 per copy, but all orders after March 15, 2015, the day they will be shipped, were going to cost £200.00 per copy. However, all copies were sold by February 26. The official Alien Facebook Page (simply called "Alien") also made a post about the book the same day at 9:00 AM. In the post, it says "Don’t miss this extremely rare Limited Edition of Alien: The Archive, signed by Sigourney Weaver. There are only 75 copies in existence." followed by a link to the version signed by Weaver.

Editions[]

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