‘Alien’ by numbers

I’m sure for many film fans of a certain age (I’m 45) Ridley Scott’s epic Alien was a seminal part of their cinematic upbringing.

It’s a film I vividly remember being allowed to stay up and watch as a kid – and it has stuck with me ever since.

The great news is, to mark the film’s 40th anniversary, a 4K restoration and re-release will see the film back in UK cinemas from March 1.

To prep for that rerelease, here’s a few facts and figures you may not be aware of:

3 Words – That sold the script to the studio: “Jaws in space”

3 Hours 12 Minutes – The duration of the original cut of the film

4 Cats – The number of cats that played Jonesy in the film

4 Minutes – The full screen time of the Xenomorph

5 Directors – That were considered before they found Ridley Scott

7 Feet 2 Inches – The height of Bolaji Badejo in his one and only role playing the titular monster

26 Feet – The height of the Space Jockey prop

130 Eggs – The number of prop Alien eggs made

$38,461 – The average made per cinema by Alien on opening weekend in 1979, totalling $3.5 million

$4.2 million – The original budget of the film, which was doubled after Ridley Scott storyboarded his ideas

Bonus fact for Oscar season –

26 – Alien is a member of the exclusive club of only 26 horror films that have ever won an Oscar

273 Cinemas – That’s how many cinemas will be showing Alien’s 4K restoration and re-release in cinemas from 1^stMarch