How Many Xenomorph Eggs Were On Alien’s Derelict Ship?
In the 1979 film Alien, there appeared to be hundreds of xenomorph eggs on the derelict ship. How many eggs were actually created on the set?
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In Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 film, Alien, there appeared to be hundreds of xenomorph eggs on the derelict ship. How many eggs were actually created for that iconic set at Shepperton Studios?
It would be difficult to imagine Scott’s famous sci-fi thriller without the scenes in the derelict alien spacecraft. When the crew of the Nostromo land on the small moon of LV- 426, their search for the origin to a distress call leads them to the organic-like structure. They discover a labyrinthine interior designed with elements that are evocative of flesh and bone. Kane (John Hurt) is the unlucky crew member who ends up exploring an enormous chamber filled with hundreds of large objects that resemble eggs. When Kane examines one the objects, a creature springs forth and attaches itself to his face. A scene that remains, over 40 years later, one of the most suspenseful in film history.
When Kane enters the chamber, there appear to be hundreds of “facehugger” eggs covered by a layer of mist. The eggs are set just a few feet apart from each other; suggesting their placement was by design. Cinematographer Derek Vanlint, who also shot Dragonslayer (1981), expertly framed the shots to give the illusion of a cavernous depository for what appeared to be an elaborate war machine. Without the use of matte paintings or rear-projection, the impressive practical set also suggests an immense scope, dwarfing the actor and creating a palpable sense of suspense. The expert craftsmanship by the visual effects team would garner them an Academy Award for their work.
How Many Xenomorph Eggs Were in Alien?
With so many factors in creating the xenomorph egg chamber, it is difficult to get a real sense of how many eggs are actually in the chamber. The shooting script is also very vague, which describes the discovery only as “rows of leathery ovoid shapes”. While it isn’t clear in the film how many eggs Kane finds, there was specific number created by the effects team. There were exactly 130 eggs produced for the derelict ship, which includes the “hero egg” that interacts with Kane. This egg was the only one that featured moving components, allowing for the interior to rustle and the top to open. The inside of the “hero egg” was filled with animal parts, giving the interior an organic appearance.
The movement inside the egg was achieved in the simplest way imaginable. Scott, who has a Gladiator sequel currently in the early stages, put his hand inside the bottom and pushed the animal entrails around. Through clever editing, the facehugger creature appeared to emerge from within and attach to Kane. While the actual number of eggs produced was 130, it is inferred that there are probably thousands of “ovoids” in the ship. This would make sense given that the structure appears to be a war ship, with the eggs used as ammunition for the artillery manned by the space jockey, which became a larger part of Alien lore through connections with future installments.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/xenomorph-eggs-alien-derelict/