Alien The Title

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Early Development of the Alien Script

a) 'Star Beast" was a name for the Alien script that Dan O'Bannon had for a short while when was running through titles and he didn't like any of them. However at three o'clock in the morning in Ron Shusett's appartment, Dan was typing away writing writing dialogue, and he wrote conversations where the characters are saying alien this and alien that, one of the characters 'What are we going to do about the alien?' and this word came out of the page at Dan and he said to himself "Alien. It's a noun and adjective. Yes, that's it! I have the title"

b) So he went into the other room which was the bedroom where Ron Shusett slept with his wife and Dan shook him awake , he was smoking a cigar, he said "I have our title Alien. No one's ever used it. It's a noun, it's an adverb, it's an adjective, it can be Alien, it's alien in its nature, it's an alien being, simple"

c) Ron would never forget this moment, an inspired moment,  he replied "Okay" and went back to sleep. But Dan knew he had found a really fabulous title.

Quote source

1. Dan O'Bannon: I was writing dialogue, and one of the characters said, 'What are we going to do about the alien?' The word came out of the page at me, and I said, 'Alien. It's a noun and an adjective.' So I went in the other room and shook [writing partner Ron Shusett] awake and told him. He said, 'Okay' and went back to sleep. But I knew I had found a really hot title. (Cinescape vol 3, #9, & Book of Alien)
2. Ron Shusett: He walked in one night, maybe a week or two earlier, (before Mark Haggard stopped them in the street) and he said, he was smoking a cigar, and he said, I swear I'll never forget, I have the title. He's sleeping on my couch, he's so broke, he's been sleeping on my couch, my wife and I, it's two rooms, in the other room my wife is supporting us both, we're eating beans and hotdogs. During this whole period we wrote the movie. And he says "I have our title, Alien. No one's ever used it. It's a noun, it's an adverb, it's an adjective, it can be, it can be Alien, it's alien in its nature, it's an alien being. Nobody's ever ... simple". And no one ever tried to change it through all the Hollywood mill and everything, everyone just accepted. So it was an inspired moment too. (Alien Evolution)
3. Dan O'Bannon:''Star Beast'' is one of those titles that you think of and then you... You throw 'em away. l was running through titles and they all stank. l didn't like any of them. One morning at three o'clock, Ronny's apartment, l'm typing away and the characters are saying the alien this and the alien that, and suddenly that word ''alien'' just came up out of the typewriter at me.l said ''Alien''.
   lt's a noun and it's an adjective.
   l said ''Yes, that's it! l have the title!''
   lt's simple, it's one word, no one's ever used it and it never changed from that moment on. The title stuck and that was amazing to us, just that aspect of it.(Alien Quadrilogy documentary)