In art, it's all about reinveinting what has already been made. As Pablo Picasso famously said:
"Good artists copy. Great artists steal"
However, in the Alien franchise, this premise doesn’t quite hold—you can't just copy what the the previous director did. That’s not how it works. The series, now spanning seven movies (not counting the Predator crossovers), has had to continually reimagine and expand upon a lore and creature first invented in 1979. But what about its most iconic moment—the chestburster scene? How has each director managed to recreate and revitalize such a pivotal moment? Let’s explore the evolution of this scene across the Alien saga and see how each film put its unique spin on it.
ALIEN (1979) - RIDLEY SCOTT
Ridley Scott’s original Alien introduced the world to the chestburster in a scene that has since become one of the most iconic in horror history and set the standard for all that followed. The concept originated with the film's writer, Dan O'Bannon, who suffered from Crohn's disease. Apparently, after a particularly excruciating night of pain, O'Bannon conceived the idea of a creature violently erupting from a person’s body—a metaphor for his own suffering.
The jump from script to screen was no easy feat, starting with the design of this version of the creature, up to the logistics of the scene. Bringing the chestburster to life required four takes and nearly 23 liters of fake blood. The terror was also amplified by the actors' genuine reactions—most of them were unaware of the exact nature of the scene, leading to real shock when the red liquid and actual animal guts sprayed across the set. Additionally, Scott carefully structured the film so that we had to wait over 50 minutes to catch the first glimpse of the alien, making the chestburster scene unforgettable to this day.
If you want to have a more in-depth understanding on how this scene was brought to life, check out this video!
ALIENS (1986) - JAMES CAMERON
Terminator’s director took a different approach in Aliens, shifting the franchise towards action while retaining its horror roots. The first chestburster moment in this film is implied through a nightmare sequence, where Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) dreams of the creature emerging from her chest. This scene deepens Ripley’s PTSD from the first film and taps into the audience’s lingering fear. By not directly recreating the scene, Cameron preserved the impact of the original while building tension in a new, psychologically driven way.
But Cameron didn’t entirely shy away from a traditional alien chestburster moment. Later in the film, when Ripley and the Marines enter the alien hive, they discover a woman cocooned and begging for death. As they watch in horror, a chestburster erupts from her. This scene is brief but significant for the characters in the movie. It's a reminder of what happens when you get facehugged.
ALIEN³ (1992) - DAVID FINCHER
David Fincher’s Alien³ introduced a new twist by having the chestburster emerge from a different host—an animal. In the theatrical release, it bursts from a dog, while in the special edition, it emerges from an ox. This adaptation expanded the Xenomorph mythos by showcasing the creature's ability to adapt to its host. The result is a variant known as the "Runner", characterized by its more streamlined, agile body, which allows it to move swiftly on all fours and, oh, it can spit acid from its mouth too. Unlike the small, pale, elongated versions of chestbursters seen before, the Runner emerges almost fully formed, with distinct traits inherited from its host.
However, in the theatrical ending, Alien³ also gives us a human chestburster moment, this time with none other than Ripley herself. In the film's climax, having been impregnated with a Xenomorph queen embryo, she sacrifices herself by jumping into a furnace. As she falls, the alien bursts out of her, but she holds it close and ensures that both she and the creature are destroyed in the flames. It's Ripley's finale.
ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997) - JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET
Because "we've seen it all before", Alien: Resurrection brings a darker, more aggressive and intentional use of the creature. Near the climax of the film, Purvis—a kidnapped civilian who was part of Dr. Mason Wren's breeding project—knows the chestburster inside him will soon emerge and kill him. Seizing control of his final moments, he grabs Dr. Wren and forces his head against his chest, ensuring that the chestburster will kill both of them. This scene gives the host a sense of agency, turning the moment into a weapon and adding emotional intensity to the traditional chestburster horror. It's chaotic, messy, and... surprising!
PROMETHEUS (2012) - RIDLEY SCOTT
While there isn’t a traditional chestburster scene in this movie, there is a harrowing moment reminiscent of it: a forced abortion. This occurs when the "Trilobite", a parasitic alien, is surgically extracted from Dr. Shaw’s (Noomi Rapace) body using an automated surgical pod. Unlike the familiar chestburster, the Trilobite has a more primitive, squid-like appearance. This design choice was intentional, highlighting the creature’s role as a precursor to the Xenomorph. More squid like. More aquatic. The scene mirrors the horror of the original chest-bursting moment by exploring the concept of alien life taking root inside a human.
ALIEN: COVENANT (2017) - RIDLEY SCOTT
Returning to the franchise, Ridley Scott had the laborious task of reimagining something he had created decades before. While he avoided to do it in Prometheus, he brought it back in Alien: Covenant and, this time, it happens twice. The first instance is a variation though, more of a “backburster”. When a crew member becomes infected, his back begins to burst, crack and break apart during a medical exam, ultimately giving way to a Bloodburster that emerges, complete with its placenta-like sac and all. Yes, that scene is gruesome.
Later in the film, there’s a recreation of the classic chestburster scene: a man lies on his back, choking as an alien breaks free from his chest, tearing through his T-shirt. The diffrence is that the alien that emerges from the dead body is fully formed, resembling a miniature version of the Xenomorph. Also, in contrast with the scene above, the tone here is more, let’s say, "cute"—for lack of a better word—rather than horrific, as it depicts David (the android, played by Fassbender) proudly watching the culmination of his work. Even the music is calmer, almost soothing.
ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024) - FEDE ÁLVAREZ
Last in the list is the recently released Alien: Romulus, which doesn’t shy away from this now well-rooted body horror moment of the franchise. It delivers a full, classic chestburster scene with brutal realism, blending the practical effects of the 1970s with all the tropes of modern horror. In this case, the young pilot Navarro gets face-hugged and then chest-burst pretty quickly, just as we might expect. However, this time, there’s no shirt in the way. This time, we see the alien literally bursting out of Navarro’s chest, with ribs cracking and skin ripping off.
"I approached it as if it was a nature documentary. The direction I gave the puppeteers was stuff like, ‘The baby looks for the scent of the mother now,’ and so it raises his head to do that. That just makes it way more realistic", Fede Alvarez, for Entertainment Weekly
In conclusion, each chestburster scene across the Alien saga has built upon the terror of the original, adapting to the times and the evolving expectations of horror fans. Whether through the introduction of new lore or ways to use special effects, these scenes have remained a central element of the franchise's appeal. Which one did you prefer or which one did you see first? Let us know in the comments!