PANIC ROOM director David Fincher
© 2002 Columbia Pictures

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Fincher recalls his painful ALIEN movie

"I don't think you could make the first or even the second [ALIEN] movie in the studio world of 1990," PANIC ROOM and FIGHT CLUB director David Fincher tells us in the latest issue of CINESCAPE.

In the exclusive interview, Fincher opened up about his latest thriller (ROOM) as well as looked back at CLUB and his struggles making the third ALIEN film.

"People just looked at movies differently. When Ridley made the first one [Twentieth Century Fox President Alan Ladd Jr.] aid, 'Okay, you guys can do it if you can make it for $10 million...' And so they went off and did this thing, and the best stuff always kind of sneaks in under the wire. If it's too scrutinized, if there's too much expectation, then there's too many middle managers involved. I mean, they were managing the franchise and whenever you're dealing with brand managers, you're usually doomed... I mean, we probably would have been left alone to make a much better movie with ALIEN 3 had everyone thought it was going to be a failure. Because we wouldn't have had so many people coming in to proffer a stupid opinion like "Oh, I know it'll come out of a dog!"

When asked if he would have done anything differently, Fincher said, "Oh, yeah. I don't think there's anything I would do the same."

His final opinion on ALIEN 3, which since it was released has gained some measure of respect from fans of the series?

"I hate it," Fincher said.

For more from Fincher on his films, and his beginnings working on RETURN OF THE JEDI, pick up the May issue of CINESCAPE, on newsstands now.