The screenplay for Alien was written by Dan O'Bannon. It was adapted from a story that he had previously written in collaboration with Ronald Shussett, a screenwriter and producer. The two worked together on a number of other projects, including one that eventually became the film Total Recall.

Alien was directed by Ridley Scott and became one of the most famous films of all time. Scott's name is well known to cinemagoers and so are those of the main stars of Alien, Sigourney Weaver and John Hurt. However, O'Bannon is mainly remembered by science fiction fans. He was a quiet man and a bit of a recluse, especially in his earlier years, but he had a great influence on other writers in the genre. He also tried directing, working on films like The Return of the Living Dead, but this wasn't as successful as his screenwriting.

Dan O'Bannon died in 2009, aged 63.