The 1980s were an incredible time for horror films. It seemed as though a new cult classic was being made every other day. In fact, quite a few of these cult classics seemed to be inspired by the success of the 1979 film Alien. Although some of these projects rarely matched the craftsmanship of Alien, there’s one film that most definitely surpassed it in weirdness. This film is the 1982 British science fiction horror film Xtro. While it’s mostly remembered by cult film fans these days, it did cause quite a stir upon its initial release. In fact, the film was nearly included with the infamous “Video Nasties” craze that plagued the United Kingdom. As such, there are more than a few reasons as to why Xtro has become a respectable cult classic.
Interestingly, however, the film was not alone. There have actually been an additional two Xtro films released in the years since. In 1990, a sequel titled Xtro II: The Second Encounter was released. This was followed by another name-only sequel, Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, in 1995. Both films have also become quite well-recognized by cult film aficionados, and Xtro 3: Watch the Skies even received a stellar release from distribution label Vinegar Syndrome. Now, all these decades later, it looks like another sequel to the classic 1980s horror film is in development.
Xtro: The Big One is the current title for this potential sequel. While there have been rumblings in the past about its existence, there’s mostly been silence over the last few years. As is the case sometimes, quite a few fans were worried that the project might’ve been cancelled. After all, the recent pandemic has certainly done its fair share of damage to the entertainment industry. But there’s hope yet for fans that hope to see yet another Xtro film come to fruition. Producer Mark Forstater has confirmed that Xtro: The Big One is still in development.
Mark Forstater was recently questioned about the status of the promised Xtro sequel. And, excitingly enough, he admits they’re still “working away” at it. Specifically, however, it appears they’re mostly in need of securing a budget. Other than that, however, things appear to be looking good for the sequel. He promised that they “have a great script and a great director” for the project. With that in mind, it’s unknown if Harry Bromley-Davenport, director of the original three Xtro films, will be returning for this fourth installment. But based on his involvement in previous reports – he’s likely still attached to some extent.
We are still working away at getting the funding to make it . We have a great script and a great director – we are missing the great money
— Mark Forstater (@markforstater) August 11, 2022
With this response, it looks like the only thing holding Xtro: The Big One back is the budget. But in a world where streaming is king and all-new possibilities are constantly being explored, there’s no doubt plenty of hope still to secure the funding. We’ll just have to keep waiting and watch closely. Until then, however, genre fans can rest assured that the legacy of Xtro is far from over.