James Cameron and Michael Biehn slam Alien 3 in new interview; but defend David Fincher
One director/actor pairing that’s too often overlooked when we talk about the great ones is Michael Biehn and James Cameron. They did three movies together, and each of them is a classic.
Biehn iconically played Kyle Reese in The Terminator (he also did a cameo in Terminator 2: Judgment Day that was cut), famously replaced a fired James Remar as Corporal Hicks in Aliens, and wrapped up his Cameron trilogy with The Abyss, where he played his only villain in a Cameron movie.
Why Alien 3 Still Stings for Cameron and Biehn
In the years since, much has been made about the controversial decision by 20th Century Fox to kill off Biehn’s Hicks and Carrie Henn’s Newt in Alien 3 (with Lance Henriksen’s Bishop at least getting a cameo).
The decision has long stuck in the craw of both Biehn and Cameron, who recently reunited on Biehn’s podcast, Just Fooling About With Michael Biehn. The full interview (embedded at the top of the article) is a blast, but one moment in particular stands out when Biehn raises Alien 3 with Cameron—who does not mince words.
“I thought that was the stupidest f*cking thing,” said Cameron, adding, “so you build a lot of goodwill So, you build a lot of goodwill around the characters of you know, Hicks, Newt and Bishop, and then the first thing they do in the in the next film is kill them all off, right? Really smart guys, you know, and replace them with a bunch of f**king convicts that you hate. And want to see die. Really clever. Now, I’m a big fan of Fincher and his work and all that. And that was his first feature film, and he was getting vectored around by a lot of other voices and all that. So, I give him a free pass on that one.”
Michael Biehn on David Fincher and the “Bowl of Sh*t”
On that point, Biehn agreed, saying David Fincher was “handed a bowl of shit.”
As part of a broader discussion about generative AI and the use of actors’ likenesses without permission, Biehn revealed that Alien 3 used his likeness without consent. He first heard about it from a producer he was working with at the time.
When Biehn raised the issue, he was offered a significant sum of money to grant permission—so much so that he says it was actually more than he was paid for Aliens. Despite that, he refused, to the point that Fincher personally called him, prompting Biehn to respond:
“go f*ck yourself man”.
Cameron followed that anecdote with a dry observation:
“I wonder why you’ve never been cast in a David Fincher film.”
Cameron’s Take on Fincher, Alien Today, and Franchise Fatigue
Despite the controversy, Cameron made it clear there’s no lingering animosity toward Fincher, saying:
“he’s my kind of ornery.”
Cameron also commented on the state of the Alien franchise today. He praised Alien: Earth, but seemed less enthusiastic about Alien: Romulus, noting that he liked “parts of it.”
Most tellingly, Cameron said that you couldn’t pay him enough to return to the franchise, which he feels has become overly “fan-driven.”
Key Takeaways for Fans of the Alien Franchise
Cameron remains openly critical of Alien 3’s opening decisions
Both Cameron and Biehn largely absolve Fincher of blame
Biehn’s likeness dispute foreshadows modern AI and rights debates
Cameron has little interest in returning to the Alien universe
What Do You Think?
What do you make of James Cameron and Michael Biehn’s long-simmering frustration with Alien 3? Were Hicks and Newt’s deaths a fatal misstep—or a bold narrative gamble? Let us know in the comments.
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