Exciting news has emerged for fans of the Alien and Predator franchises. It appears that Disney, the parent company of 20th Century Studios, has secretly produced a fully completed Alien vs. Predator anime series consisting of 10 episodes. However, the House of Mouse is keeping this highly anticipated series tightly under lock and key, leaving fans eagerly awaiting its release.
The revelation came to light during a recent episode of the Perfect Organism Podcast, specifically during their Alien Day special. Joshua Izzo, the former licensing director at 20th Century Fox and the founder of Alien Day, shared intriguing details about the anime and shed light on the reasons for its delayed debut.
“There is, sitting at Disney now, at 20th Studios, 10 episodes of a fully completed Alien vs. Predator anime series that I produced,” Izzo disclosed. “It’s done. It’s in the can. It’s mixed; it’s finished. It was produced and story cracked by Eric Calderon and Dave Baker, two unbelievably crazy talented guys.”
Izzo explained that before becoming an anime, he initially pitched the concept of an Alien vs. Predator animated series to Dave Bixler, who was then the head of Home Entertainment at 20th Century Fox. Bixler championed the idea, and Izzo later presented it to Jeffrey Godsick, who was in charge of consumer products at the time.
“I said, ‘Hey listen, I want to pitch this idea of a direct-to-DVD Alien and/or Alien/Predator and/or Predator animation that we, the consumer products division, can sell against. Let us be the masters of our own destiny rather than waiting for theatrical whenever a movie decides to come out,'” Izzo recalled. At that point, Alien Covenant was still in its early stages of development, and The Predator had not yet been announced.
With Godsick’s approval, Izzo proceeded to present the pitch to Home Entertainment, showcasing storyboards and a complete vision for the series. He highlighted the advantage of an animated series for Alien vs. Predator, as 20th Century Fox owned a substantial catalog of comic book content spanning nearly 30 years, with no rights difficulties whatsoever.
Following discussions, they enlisted the talents of a director who, as Izzo revealed, had worked on renowned projects such as Halo Legends and Harlock: Space Pirate. This director, rumored to be Shinji Aramaki according to Alien vs. Predator Galaxy, boasts an impressive repertoire that includes Starship Troopers, Appleseed, Appleseed Ex Machina, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
Collaborating with Western animation consultants Baker and Calderon, Aramaki and Izzo embarked on the production of the 10-episode series. Set chronologically after the events of Alien vs. Predator and Alien 4, the episodes were intended to be released across three DVDs in the Western market while being aired individually on Japanese television.
Given Aramaki’s penchant for blending 2D animation with CGI, it is expected that the Alien vs. Predator anime series would follow this stylistic approach, offering a visually stunning experience for viewers.
However, despite the completion of the series, little is known about Disney’s plans for its release. Fans are left in suspense, eagerly wondering when or even if the House of Mouse will unleash this highly anticipated anime series upon the world.
Until further details emerge, enthusiasts of the Alien and Predator franchises can only hope that Disney recognizes the excitement and demand surrounding this completed project, ultimately choosing to bring it to the screens and allowing fans to witness the epic clash of these iconic extraterrestrial creatures in a new and thrilling format.
DC Fanboy! Superman is the greatest comic book character of all time. Favorite movies are Man of Steel, Goonies, Back To the Future
