Summary

• Ridley Scott's favorite movies are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Quest for Fire, and Blade Runner.
• Blade Runner holds a special place for Scott as it "set the pace for many things."
• Scott notes that 2001: A Space Odyssey influenced Alien.

Director Gladiator II. For Alien: Romulus, the new franchise installment that takes place between Scott's Alien and the James Cameron-directed sequel Aliens, Scott is a producer, while Fede Álvarez is Romulus' director.

When Scott and Álvarez were asked by Letterboxd about their four favorite movies, Scott shared that his all-time favorites are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Quest for Fire, and one of his own films, Blade Runner, with Scott explaining that it "just set the pace for many things." Check out the video below:

Scott explained that 2001: A Space Odyssey greatly influenced Alien and watching Star Wars for the first time changed the trajectory of his career. As for Quest of Fire, Scott said that it is "a film that people don't know is so clever and so brilliant."

Ridley Scott's 4 Favorites Are Fitting Choices

They Speak To Ridley Scott's Unique Career

2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Quest for Fire are all fitting choices for Scott's favorite film as they encapsulate the director's artistic sensibilities and the evolution of his diverse career. Much of Scott's work consists of science-fiction stories that are bold, thematically rich, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Both 2001 and Star Wars were bold, artistic innovations and became hallmarks of science-fiction cinema, with 2001 being more thought-provoking and Star Wars being more entertaining.

Scott combined all these elements in Alien and Blade Runner, with the former being a science-fiction horror story, and the latter being a noir science-fiction film that became iconic for the genre. Much like 2001 and Star Wars, Scott was ambitious and created stunning visuals that went on to inspire countless films to come, including Alien: Romulus. He knew how to make his films visually engaging, entertaining, and stimulating, with 2001 and Star Wars paving the way, and his own Blade Runner continuing it further.

While some of Scott's films, including Gladiator, became commercial hits, others, like Blade Runner, became cult classics, which makes Quest for Fire another fitting choice. Scott's artistic tastes have not always found mainstream appeal, just like Quest for Fire, which was critically acclaimed, but was not a commercial hit. With Alien: Romulus and Gladiator II debuting in 2024, and more projects on the way, Ridley Scott's career continues to evolve from his diverse taste in film.

Source: Letterboxd/X