While audiences remain pretty split on Ridley Scott’s first official Alien film in nearly 40 years, one thing we can all agree on is there are some interesting gaps in the storytelling. It’s always difficult to argue that fans need to do homework before seeing a movie to appreciate the film; while we can assume there are some scene and sequences cut from the film that add depth to Alien: Covenant, a movie should always stand on its own two legs, and those frustrated by Scott’s decision to chop out sections of the movie aren’t going to give him a pass because they may be added back in somewhere later in the process.

To hear Scott say it, though, that’s always been a problem in his editing process. The filmmaker recently sat down with Collider (via Heroic Hollywood) to talk about the editing process and explained why fans won’t see too many deleted scenes on the eventual Blu-ray or DVD release of Alien: Covenant:

The only reason I occasionally take my hat off to screenings is you think you know everything, but you know you don’t. Something inordinately simple you’ve assumed everyone understands and they don’t. That’s the key thing, isn’t it? You know when it’s a bit too long. And also, if you’re a bit too long you then ask “Right speed? Too slow? Too fast?” If they go, “no, too fast” you go “sh-- , I’ve got to slow down” — because as you edit, you can get weary and want to cut, cut, cut.

Later in the interview, Scott admits that there won’t be a lot of deleted scenes for the film, noting that his first cut came in around 2:23 before he cut it down to 2:03. Some of these scenes have undoubtedly already been repackaged as YouTube features and videos; nearly the entirety of James Franco’s bits, for example, were excised and turned into a sort-of prequel feature that fans could watch before seeing the movie. Regardless, those who had their fingers crossed for another one of Scott’s legendary director’s cuts can probably relax those particular muscles; it sounds like, for better or worse, Scott got everything he wanted up onto the screen this time around.

Alien: Covenant is now playing in theaters everywhere.

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