A new documentary exploring Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece Alien is set to arrive in theaters early next year, just in time for the movie's 40th anniversary. The filmmakers say their documentary, Memory: The Origins of Alien, will explore the "untold origin story" behind the 1979 classic. The exploration of Alien will include never before seen materials, as well as interviews with the cast and creative team that helped bring the movie to life.

Director Alexandre O. Philippe and Exhibit A Pictures have partnered with the Paris company Indie Sales to shop the documentary around to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is happening currently. Philippe and Exhibit A previously partnered on 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene, which debuted at Sundance last year and explored the infamous scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. It was received quite well and so, they've decided to take on another classic in the form of Ridley Scott sci-fi thriller Alien. Indie Sales CEO and co-founder Nicolas Eschbach had this to say in a statement.

"It's better than a kid's dream to handle this one-of-a-kind documentary about Ridley Scott's Alien, which contributed to shape our contemporary pop culture. Alexandre's talent to grasp the essence of a reference film like Psycho has already been praised with his brilliant 78/52. We are convinced that Memory will deliver a revealing and wholly original take on one of Hollywood's most beloved and iconic shockers, and will not only win the hearts of hardcore fans and cinephiles, but also intrigue and fascinate general audiences around the world."

The filmmakers say the doc will include unseen materials from both writer Dan O'Bannon and legendary designer H.R. Giger, including the original 29-page script that was titled Memory. Hence, the name of the movie. In addition to interviews with various members of the cast and crew, interviews have been conducted with relatives of O'Bannon and Giger. Producer Kerry Deignan Roy had this to say.

"We are delighted to partner with the Indies Sales team which has not only believed in this film from its earliest stages, but understands the scope and ambition of this project as a follow-up to 78/52. Memory is, full-on, a mythological deep dive into one of the films that influenced me to become a filmmaker, and a long-overdue tribute to its creator and writer Dan O'Bannon," said Philippe. "After the success of 78/52, we have pushed the envelope structurally, sonically, and visually, to deliver our most daring and original film-on-film to date; and I am thrilled to partner with Indie Sales to let it burst out onto the screen in 2019."

Memory: The Origins of Alien was shot in 4K at various locations in the U.S., Canada and Europe. While no release date has been set, as buyers have to be lined up first, the expectation is that the documentary will be released in early 2019. For now, you can check out the original script front page and early artwork that has been released for yourself below. This news was first reported by Screen Daily.

‘Memory: The Origins of Alien’ Documentary Explains How Ridley Scott’s Sci-Fi Classic Came Together pic.twitter.com/TaHOcmhQd5 — Keimo Therapy a.k.a. Rude Boy (@keimo_therapy) September 11, 2018