Sigourney Weaver herself was in attendance
Full footage from a New Jersey high school drama department’s production of Alien has emerged online after a trailer for their theatrical adaptation of the sci-fi horror classic went viral earlier last month.
The 1979 movie – set in 2122 – saw a seven-member crew of a commercial space tug, Nostromo, attacked by aliens during their return trip to Earth. Three sequels followed, along with a prequel series made up of 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant.
You can now watch North Bergen High School’s take on Alien below, and take in the full scope of the play’s extraordinary production values.
The original star of the Alien franchise herself, Sigourney Weaver, has paid a visit to the cast and crew following its explosion in popularity. Original director Ridley Scott was also reported to have donated $5,000 to the production.
Look who stopped by North Bergen High to visit the spectacular cast of Alien: The Play. Thank you, Sigourney Weaver! And thank you, North Bergen High! #AlienDay #Alien40th pic.twitter.com/ObMZh4m4t3
— Alien (@AlienAnthology) April 27, 2019
Weaver had previously sent a video message to the students. “I just want to say, it looked incredible,” Weaver said in the video.
“You put so much heart and soul into that and the alien looked very real to me. I want to send our compliments not only from me but from James Cameron, and the original screenwriter Walter Hill. We all say bravo, well done.”
Video footage and a trailer of North Bergen High School’s Alien gained thousands of online hits when they first appeared, with viewers being blown away by the costume design, sets and overall detail.
Speaking to BuzzFeed, art teacher and the play’s director Steven Defendini said: “Our performance of Alien really shows you can do so much with so little, and as long as there is a passion there to do these things, they are possible.”
In other news, Alien‘s Jonesy the cat got his own spin-off story in an illustrated book last year.
