Creator Noah Hawley and the 'Alien: Earth' cast stop by THR's suite at San Diego Comic-Con and Hawley talks about what advice he received from other directors before taking on this series. Plus, he reveals how the themes of A.I. in 'Alien: Earth' relate to how quickly A.I. is growing in the real world. Star Sydney Chandler also discusses what it means to join the long line of strong female leads in the 'Alien' franchise.
00:00It is a horror series, and how do you keep it from being repetitive or, oh, it's just another monster eating somebody?
00:07You do it by introducing other kinds of horror, right?
00:10You have the creature horror, right?
00:12Obviously, the shadows in the dark and what's behind the door, etc.
00:15But, you know, we also have moral horror.
00:18We have the things that human beings do to each other.
00:21Okay, I'm going to start off with probably an oldie but a goodie when it comes to aliens.
00:33What is your favorite alien movie of all the movies that have been made?
00:37And the predator versus alien ones count.
00:40Well, I would have to say, having now worked with Sir Ridley Scott, that that original movie is everything to me, personally, as much as I love James Cameron's film.
00:54So, you know, I'm going to start with where it all started.
00:58I have to concur.
00:59I watched that movie at too young of an age, and so it terrified me.
01:04And I just grew to love it so much.
01:07It's the original.
01:09It's where it all began.
01:10Now, are you saying that because it's Ridley Scott's producing the show?
01:14Like, if he...
01:15Are you allowed to give any other answer other than...
01:19Yeah, what do people say if it was a James Cameron protection?
01:23See what I'm saying?
01:24That's what I want to know.
01:25So, that's why I'm okay with Boris saying it was the seventh one that really knocked my socks off.
01:30And I don't remember the title.
01:31When you started this journey, did you consult any other directors?
01:37I'm sure you talked to Ridley.
01:38Any other directors of other movies?
01:41Of the Alien movies?
01:41I talked to David Fincher about his experience.
01:46I didn't talk to Fede until after we were done shooting, but I have spoken to him some.
01:55And then I spoke to Ridley about the origins and that journey, which has been well documented,
02:02but, you know, there's still some fun anecdotes that come out of his telling of the production,
02:08including how he had PAs who would jump out of the shadows and yell to startle the actors at random times just to keep them on edge.
02:17But, yeah, I haven't spoken to some of the others.
02:23What was the advice that David Fincher gave you?
02:26Mostly complaints, I think, is what, no.
02:28You know, he was in an unenviable position of being a first-time director with some very strong producers.
02:39So, you know, I don't think he necessarily made the movie that he set out to make.
02:45And so, you know, I think what he tried to make sure is that I was in the position to have control over the property that I was doing.
02:52How do you sustain a level of horror on a series that it isn't just like, you know, the horror peaks too early or too late or not enough horror?
03:02It's a balance, obviously, for characters, but it is a horror series.
03:06And how do you keep it from being repetitive or, oh, it's just another monster eating somebody?
03:12You do it by introducing other kinds of horror, right?
03:15You have the creature horror, right?
03:17Obviously, the shadows in the dark and what's behind the door, et cetera.
03:20But, you know, we also have moral horror.
03:23We have the things that human beings do to each other, which is such a staple.
03:28You think about Paul Reiser, his behavior in Aliens.
03:33And, you know, in some ways, as a Peter Pan story about growing up, it's about being exposed to the horrors of the adult worlds.
03:41And how, you know, this trillionaire who owns everything and everybody, you know, is exploiting them, is experimenting.
03:49You know, as these children learn the truth about what it means to be an adult human, maybe they start to wonder if that's really what they should be.
03:59Sydney, speaking of these Peter Pan lost children, how do you balance that sort of inner child that you are consciously, but you're obviously in an adult body?
04:12And how do you sort of keep track of that progression?
04:15Because you're growing through, I guess, the episodes, right?
04:19So how do you make sure you don't jump too ahead to be an adult or not far enough?
04:25I'm sure you guys have to work a lot together.
04:26Yeah.
04:27Well, I mean, the majority of it is on the page, which is so helpful because Noah's written a character that is so layered and so tactile.
04:39And within that, Noah really allowed us, like me and the Lost Boys, to play.
04:46There was so much room for freedom and to explore the inner child, which was scary and a challenge and also so, so rewarding.
04:58And so it is a balance, but at the end of the day, you know, the world's so massive that we're playing in, but it is just scene by scene.
05:06And it's moment by moment, and hopefully it works out, you know.
05:11You put the trust in Noah that he can put it together, and it's pretty cool.
05:16So the Alien franchise has a tradition of, you know, strong or just female leads, and you fall into that.
05:25So where do you see yourself in this line of, you know, female warriors, I guess?
05:32Wendy taught me a lot.
05:34And Noah wrote a character who is able to learn how to hold her own, and going on her journey was just, she's unique in so many ways, but still, you had a way of honoring the essence of Alien and creating your own world.
05:54And so I can't compare.
05:57You can't compare yourself to the movies, you know.
06:00I just review them so much, so.
06:04We'll have to see.
06:05It's in the audience's hands now.
06:07You were in Andor, the first season of Andor.
06:10You had such a memorable character.
06:12Have you been watching season two?
06:14For my sins, I haven't actually seen season two.
06:17Oh, wow.
06:18But I've heard it's really excellent.
06:21Hold on, you're not in season two?
06:23Maybe it's you.
06:25I'm not in season two, but apparently there's some really crafty use of some voiceover that landed really well.
06:32So I'm looking forward to digging in.
06:36You were in Rogue One.
06:37I was.
06:37I was going to mess with you, but yes, I was in Rogue One.
06:40So you guys work with Tony Gilroy.
06:47Have you guys, did you guys connect on that on set at all?
06:53No, we haven't, no.
06:54This is great, T.
06:55Okay.
06:57Silver lining and all that.
06:59Wow.
07:00There is something funny about now being part of another sci-fi franchise.
07:05It is funny how, you know, where you end up, you know, the worlds you end up in as an actor.
07:09But they are very distinct, and I think Alien has, comes with its own sort of texture.
07:17And I think that was the appeal in both the texture that came with Alien, but also what Noah hit the universe that he brings with him.
07:29So, yes, there was something sort of like a combo.
07:33Well, speaking of sort of the themes that the show does, one of the things that it does is that AI is a big factor.
07:40And in the last couple of years, as you guys, I'm sure, have been working on the show, AI has just risen everywhere.
07:46Has the sudden rise of AI, to the extent that it is right now, has that sort of impacted either the way the show is being written or the way, any possible directions?
07:59Yeah, I mean, these scripts were written before there was a ChatGPT.
08:04And then as we went into production at first, we just had seen the first iteration of AI.
08:10So you think about the fact that mostly the show, the stories were created before this moment that we're in now.
08:19So it does feel like we're hitting the zeitgeist in a way that was not intentional early on.
08:26I think we're all just trying to figure out what's next for us here on this planet.
08:32I'm rooting for us, humanity.
08:35You know, jury's out.
08:36I'm rooting for us.
08:37And, you know, I'm just trying to think ahead one or two steps so that we can try to prepare.
08:46So much of the technologists and the billionaires these days grew up watching sci-fi, reading sci-fi.
08:54You know, as a maker of sci-fi, I think it's our responsibility to try to provide a future that we can work toward.
09:02Popcorn bucket time, because I know you guys have been eyeing this.
09:04Yeah.
09:05Read the question.
09:06What's the best cosplay you've seen at Comic-Con this year?
09:11There was that lady with a huge gun.
09:14That was pretty cool.
09:16The Vasquez.
09:17Yeah.
09:17You built it.
09:18Yeah.
09:19She was great.
09:20And she walked around with, you think that was her husband in the Xenomorph concert?
09:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:24All right.
09:25She was like, you got the gun?
09:26Yeah, they committed fully.
09:28There was a whole bunch of Waldos that I saw, and I was like, well, there you are.
09:32Tim, for you, if you were to go on the floor, and maybe you already have, would you wear a mask?
09:40Would you wear a disguise?
09:42Boris, come on.
09:43I'm a man of the people.
09:44You know that.
09:45Everybody knows that.
09:46What's the best TV theme song ever?
09:50Bonus points if you sing it.
09:52I'm going to go with Waylon Jennings' Just the Good Old Boys.
