Alien Nation (film)

Alien Nation
A black poster. Above in bold letters are the lines: "Los Angeles, 1991." "They have come to earth to live among us." "They've learned the language." "Taken jobs." "And tried to fit in." "But there's something about them we don't know." Below, in large typeface is the line: "Alien Nation" and in smaller typeface, the line: "Prepare Yourself," with the film credits underneath. In the background are three extraterrestrials standing on a street corner. One of the figures is a female standing next to a waste basket and three newspaper stands, holding a jacket over her shoulders. Behind her is a bar that features alien typography on its walls. Two extraterrestrials who are hanging out inside the bar, can be seen through its glass window.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGraham Baker
Written byRockne S. O'Bannon
Produced byGale Anne Hurd
Richard Kobritz
Starring
CinematographyAdam Greenberg
Edited byKent Beyda
Music byCurt Sobel
Production
companies
20th Century Fox
American Entertainment Partners
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • October 7, 1988 (1988-10-07)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million[1]
Box office$32.2 million[2]

Alien Nation is a 1988 American science fiction action film written by Rockne S. O'Bannon and directed by Graham Baker. The ensemble cast features James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, and Terence Stamp. Its initial popularity inaugurated the beginning of the Alien Nation media franchise. The film depicts the assimilation of the "Newcomers", an alien race settling in Los Angeles, much to the initial dismay of the local population. The plot integrates the neo-noir and buddy cop film genres with a science fiction theme, centering on the relationship between a veteran police investigator (Caan) and an extraterrestrial (Patinkin), the first Newcomer detective. The duo probe a criminal underworld while attempting to solve a homicide. Alien Nation explores murder, discrimination and science fiction.

The film was a co-production between American Entertainment Partners and 20th Century Fox, which distributed it theatrically. Alien Nation was released in the United States on October 7, 1988, and grossed over $32 million worldwide, becoming a moderate financial success. The film was met with mixed critical reviews before its theatrical release, although it has since gained a cult following. The motion picture spawned a short-lived television series, five television films, a set of comic books, as well as a number of novels, all in an attempt to continue the character development surrounding its fictional alien culture.

  1. ^ "AFI|Catalog".
  2. ^ "Alien Nation". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 21, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2009.