Many sequels are made with the intention of being bigger and better than their predecessors, but few have been quite as successful as James Cameron’s Aliens. Fans may debate whether the action-packed follow-up completely outclasses Ridley Scott’s Alien, but few would deny that Cameron’s effort ups both the scale and the stakes.
This year, Aliens celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, and 20th Century Fox is releasing a limited edition Blu-Ray to mark the occasion. The special box set will feature both the theatrical and special edition versions of the film, as well as a host of special features and added extras.
The anniversary edition includes a host of deleted and extended scenes, pre-production galleries, and making-of documentaries delving into the creative process. A brand new featurette entitled “The Inspiration and Design of Aliens” has been commissioned for the release, according to a report from Coming Soon.
The package also features some physical extras. There’s a set of collectible cards showcasing concept artwork from pre-production, and a book that collects iconic images from the Dark Horse comic book series based on the movie. The Blu-Ray’s cover art is also brand new, and designed especially for this release.
Aliens is set 57 years after the first movie in the series, and picks up with protagonist Ellen Ripley being retrieved from stasis by the unscrupulous Weyland-Yutani Corporation. She’s plagued by memories of her experience aboard the Nostromo in Alien, and soon finds herself face-to-face with the dreaded Xenomorph once again — albeit backed by a platoon of battle-hardened Colonial Marines.
The 30th anniversary edition of Aliens will be available on Blu-Ray from September 13, with pre-orders now open at major retailers. A digital version will ditch the physical extras, but will retain the making-of featurette that’s new to the package.
