“Alien 3: Assembly Cut” Hits HBO Max

HBO Max has unexpectedly premiered “Alien 3: The Assembly Cut” on the service, the title appearing over the weekend.

This alternate version, which clocks in at 144 minutes – a full half-hour longer than the theatrical cut – was born out of director David Fincher’s refusal to do a director’s cut for home video release.

The ‘Assembly Cut’ first appeared in 2003 on the “Alien” Quadrilogy DVD box set and includes a bunch of deleted scenes, alternate takes and new versions of key scenes such as the creature emerging from oxen as opposed to a dog.

The fate of various characters not seen in the theatrical are also revealed, while Ripley gets a more dignified ending without the chestburster popping out of her.

It was a rough version of the film but in 2010, the Blu-ray version got full post-production treatment with color correction and sound mixing – some cast members even came back for ADR.

The “Aliens” Director’s Cut and “Alien Resurrection” Special Edition versions are also now streaming on the service.

Source: JoBlo