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Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report
Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report contains extensive information on the characters, locations, vehicles, and weapons from Prometheus and the Alien films.
For hundreds of years now, scientists at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation have been monitoring the behavior of an alien life-form so powerful that its potential for military application appears limitless. Although all attempts to harness the beast’s abilities have ended in appalling bloodshed, the acquisition of the Xenomorph remains a priority. As such, Weyland-Yutani has granted you access to their detailed files on the alien in the hope that you will be able to help capture and subjugate one of these fascinating yet deadly creatures.
This exclusive in-world book utilizes specially commissioned illustrations and thirty-five years of Alien movie concept art and film stills to create a deeply engrossing reading experience that explores the nature of the Xenomorph in unparalleled detail. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report contains extensive information on the characters, locations, vehicles, and weapons from the movies, along with an in-depth breakdown of the Xenomorph’s life cycle, to give readers the most comprehensive look at one of movie history's greatest monsters.
Covering all aspects of this hugely popular franchise’s thirty-five-year history, Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is the ultimate book for fans.
For hundreds of years now, scientists at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation have been monitoring the behavior of an alien life-form so powerful that its potential for military application appears limitless. Although all attempts to harness the beast’s abilities have ended in appalling bloodshed, the acquisition of the Xenomorph remains a priority. As such, Weyland-Yutani has granted you access to their detailed files on the alien in the hope that you will be able to help capture and subjugate one of these fascinating yet deadly creatures.
This exclusive in-world book utilizes specially commissioned illustrations and thirty-five years of Alien movie concept art and film stills to create a deeply engrossing reading experience that explores the nature of the Xenomorph in unparalleled detail. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report contains extensive information on the characters, locations, vehicles, and weapons from the movies, along with an in-depth breakdown of the Xenomorph’s life cycle, to give readers the most comprehensive look at one of movie history's greatest monsters.
Covering all aspects of this hugely popular franchise’s thirty-five-year history, Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is the ultimate book for fans.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2016
6 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
S.D. Perry
97 books813 followersSD Perry (Stephani Danelle, by the way, though she prefers SD or Danelle) has been writing novelizations and tie-ins for most of her adult life. Best known for her work in the shared multiverses of Resident Evil, Star Trek, and Aliens, SD is a horror nerd and an introvert. Her father is acclaimed science fiction author Steve Perry. SD lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 27, 2020
This book cost me forty-five dollars, I normally wouldn't mention the price of a book but in this case, I think that it worth noting for reasons I'll explain at the end. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is an in universe book that is supposed to be a report on the information that the Weyland-Yutani corporation has amassed about the Xenomorph. That is not at all what this book is.
This is only the third one-star review that I've given out in the multiple years I've spent reviewing books on this site. I awarded one star to Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress because there was literally no conflict, set backs or tension that kept the characters from getting what they wanted. My second went to Austin Dragon's Liquid Cool and it earned it's rating because it was the worst written book that I've ever read in every single aspect.
This book earns its one-star rating because it is literally a false advertisement, and not only is it a false advertisement, but it's also horribly formatted and was written by someone who clearly doesn't understand the genre of in universe books. Outside of some information at the beginning and at the end, this is not a book where you get to read information that the corporation has gained over the years. What this is, instead, is a synopsis of Prometheus, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien: Ressurection along with a sprinkling of information about the universe that they inhabit.
An in universe book is supposed to represent something that would actually exist if our world was the same as that of whatever fictional property the book is from, which means that any material you put into the book has to make sense for what you're creating. What was done here is so incredibly lazy that I almost find it hard to wrap my head around. All of the photos, and I mean all of the photos, they use in this book are literally stills from the films. Despite the fact that in none of the movies anyone from Weyland-Yutani would have been around to capture what we are told they captured in order to make this decision logical. Whoever it was that was tasked with writing this book gave flimsy excuses for why they have all the stills from the movies but it comes off as monumentally lazy that they were even used in the first place when there are drawings for other parts of the report.
If you have an artist on hand then have them draw a rough sketch of something and say that it was a mock up based on transmissions from characters that were in those situations from the movies. Secondly, there's a weirdly long portion of the book that breaks down the weapons and ships used by the Colonial Marines in Aliens and the drawings have notations of what aspects of the weapons can be used effectively in combat against the Xenomorph. I thought the whole point of the report was compiling information so that the Weyland-Yutani corporation can better catch a Xenomorph? I guess this is sort of explained towards the end when the author appears to suggest that the report is being given to a team of mercenaries headed out to catch a Xenomorph, but that piece of information is contradictory to both the beginning and the impetus of the report.
The beginning of the report makes it seem like it was proverbially "checked out" by an employee, but then the ending makes it seem as though it was written for a mercenary team, and if it was written for a mercenary team, then three-fourths of the information is the report is literally useless to them. Additionally, the report was formatted as if it was being displayed on a computer screen, but there are paper inserts. Everything about the style of the formatting from the horizontal blue lines in the background to the font to the yellow boxes containing information makes this report seem like something that is being viewed on a computer, in no way does it exude a paper copy of a research report.
Parts that are supposed to be written in the voice of a character from the films are rarely written well or remind me of that character, and most of them are written in such a similar style that it seems like they were written by one person rather than many different characters. There is also some incredibly lazy writing on a page that is going through the fallout from the events of Alien 3. Our author tells us that the lone survivor of the Xenomorph attack wrote a book detailing the events of what happened and that excerpts of it were included on the next page. This then leads to a paper insert that is five pages, is numbered from one to five, has the "book" the character wrote start on page one of the insert and end on page five of the insert.
It wasn't a series of excerpts, it was the entire thing. It's honestly stunning that something this lazy, this poorly thought out, and this badly formatted could have been released in 2015. Zero attempt was made outside of the exterior cover of this book to portray it as an in universe book, and it's certainly the biggest case of false advertising I've ever seen. It has no coherent central idea other than providing a synopsis of the films because the details that are included serve three of four different ideas rather than one.
It's extra sickening to me that they put zero effort into this book and then decided to charge a premium price for it. From inception to the time that it hit the shelves this book seemed like it had way too many people working on it and way too many ideas on what it should be, it probably took way longer and more money than they expected and so when time came to roll it out they slapped a random blurb on it and probably elevated the price point. It's a disaster that only a corporate controlled project could become and to think that some people paid three hundred and twenty five dollars for the collectors edition makes me sad.
This is only the third one-star review that I've given out in the multiple years I've spent reviewing books on this site. I awarded one star to Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress because there was literally no conflict, set backs or tension that kept the characters from getting what they wanted. My second went to Austin Dragon's Liquid Cool and it earned it's rating because it was the worst written book that I've ever read in every single aspect.
This book earns its one-star rating because it is literally a false advertisement, and not only is it a false advertisement, but it's also horribly formatted and was written by someone who clearly doesn't understand the genre of in universe books. Outside of some information at the beginning and at the end, this is not a book where you get to read information that the corporation has gained over the years. What this is, instead, is a synopsis of Prometheus, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien: Ressurection along with a sprinkling of information about the universe that they inhabit.
An in universe book is supposed to represent something that would actually exist if our world was the same as that of whatever fictional property the book is from, which means that any material you put into the book has to make sense for what you're creating. What was done here is so incredibly lazy that I almost find it hard to wrap my head around. All of the photos, and I mean all of the photos, they use in this book are literally stills from the films. Despite the fact that in none of the movies anyone from Weyland-Yutani would have been around to capture what we are told they captured in order to make this decision logical. Whoever it was that was tasked with writing this book gave flimsy excuses for why they have all the stills from the movies but it comes off as monumentally lazy that they were even used in the first place when there are drawings for other parts of the report.
If you have an artist on hand then have them draw a rough sketch of something and say that it was a mock up based on transmissions from characters that were in those situations from the movies. Secondly, there's a weirdly long portion of the book that breaks down the weapons and ships used by the Colonial Marines in Aliens and the drawings have notations of what aspects of the weapons can be used effectively in combat against the Xenomorph. I thought the whole point of the report was compiling information so that the Weyland-Yutani corporation can better catch a Xenomorph? I guess this is sort of explained towards the end when the author appears to suggest that the report is being given to a team of mercenaries headed out to catch a Xenomorph, but that piece of information is contradictory to both the beginning and the impetus of the report.
The beginning of the report makes it seem like it was proverbially "checked out" by an employee, but then the ending makes it seem as though it was written for a mercenary team, and if it was written for a mercenary team, then three-fourths of the information is the report is literally useless to them. Additionally, the report was formatted as if it was being displayed on a computer screen, but there are paper inserts. Everything about the style of the formatting from the horizontal blue lines in the background to the font to the yellow boxes containing information makes this report seem like something that is being viewed on a computer, in no way does it exude a paper copy of a research report.
Parts that are supposed to be written in the voice of a character from the films are rarely written well or remind me of that character, and most of them are written in such a similar style that it seems like they were written by one person rather than many different characters. There is also some incredibly lazy writing on a page that is going through the fallout from the events of Alien 3. Our author tells us that the lone survivor of the Xenomorph attack wrote a book detailing the events of what happened and that excerpts of it were included on the next page. This then leads to a paper insert that is five pages, is numbered from one to five, has the "book" the character wrote start on page one of the insert and end on page five of the insert.
It wasn't a series of excerpts, it was the entire thing. It's honestly stunning that something this lazy, this poorly thought out, and this badly formatted could have been released in 2015. Zero attempt was made outside of the exterior cover of this book to portray it as an in universe book, and it's certainly the biggest case of false advertising I've ever seen. It has no coherent central idea other than providing a synopsis of the films because the details that are included serve three of four different ideas rather than one.
It's extra sickening to me that they put zero effort into this book and then decided to charge a premium price for it. From inception to the time that it hit the shelves this book seemed like it had way too many people working on it and way too many ideas on what it should be, it probably took way longer and more money than they expected and so when time came to roll it out they slapped a random blurb on it and probably elevated the price point. It's a disaster that only a corporate controlled project could become and to think that some people paid three hundred and twenty five dollars for the collectors edition makes me sad.
May 16, 2016
HAPPY LV426 ALIEN DAY!!!
What a perfect book to read on such a special occasion and I wish I had more good things to say... But anyway let's start with what I did like.
There is a clue to the plot of the next Alien movie!
Ellen Ripley was the only survivor of the Company’s first contact with Xenomorph XX121; she entered hypersleep believing that her shuttle would be picked up when it passed through the more heavily traveled shipping lanes. In 2159, Ripley’s sleep was briefly interrupted when the shuttle was diverted to an orbit over LV-178. Following events aboard the Marion, Ripley’s memory was adjusted and the shuttle was returned to its course. The shuttle’s beacon failed shortly thereafter, and the Narcissus drifted through and beyond the Core Systems. In 2137, Ripley’s only child, Amanda Ripley, also encountered Xenomorph XX121 at...
That alone was worth the read. Other things I liked were the backgrounds on some of the characters in the movies. For example:
Following the tragic loss of the UAS Troop Carrier Archangel under his command in 2109, Cpt. Dallas’ flight status was revoked, and he was dishonorably discharged from military service.
Many characters are listed as having substance abuse problems but my favorite aside was learning that this guy
was so nuts he wrote his reports in haiku.
The book also includes that famous memo "signed Burke, Carter J" that Ripley was going to use to "nail him right to the wall."
Reading it was my first mental movie rewrite. I thought when Ripley said Burke sent them (colonists) there with out warning them she meant when the planet was original chosen as a shake and bake terraforming/mining operation. After all, Weyland Corp knew from Ash's reports that there was an alien ship and xenomorph eggs on LV 426. But no, when you read Burkes memo you find out he sent out some colonists to investigate Ripley's statements. He's actually excited that they lost contact with the colony because it further backs up Ripley's claims. "This creature she describes could make our bioweapons division."
Oh yeah, Burke was a solid douche bag. But this book is a report written by Weyland Corp and they saw Burke differently.
"Burke’s plans were not without worth—he recognized opportunities and pursued them—but they were not thoughtfully implemented or properly sourced. He should have brought in private contractors rather than the military. He should have requested comprehensive funding. At the very least, he should have sedated the hosts before implantation. Burke’s heart was in the right place, but he didn’t think his decisions through."
Really bitches? And yet this statement was worse.
"Ripley slipped into an EVA suit, then lured the creature away from cover and ejected it from the craft, neutralizing the Company’s first opportunity to obtain this vital resource. While her survival instinct was undeniably impressive, a loyal employee would have looked for ways to save the specimen once he or she was safely strapped into an EVA suit."
Now for what I didn't like. Unless there were some massive formatting edits before today's publication DO NOT BUY THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS BOOK. It sucks. Hell, it's almost completely illegible at times.
Even when it looks like it's right just try and read it...
Seriously, I've read monster porn with better editing.
The book does not give up anything on the Engineers or on the black accelerant - it says that information is classified beyond the level of this report (book). *coughs* cop out *coughs* major cop out *coughs*
My biggest complaint is that while many characters are expanded upon the ones I was interested in were not. Nothing is said as to the reason/motivation of some of the randomly destructive things David decided to do aboard the Prometheus.
Vasquez and Hicks - I wanted to know everything about them but their backgrounds were skipped!
But most egregiously, there is no love for Hudson. Seriously, how do you write a book about the Alien franchise and not find a few pages for Hudson?
As is, this book is stretching itself towards three stars. As a fully edited coffee table book it has to be better.
What a perfect book to read on such a special occasion and I wish I had more good things to say... But anyway let's start with what I did like.
There is a clue to the plot of the next Alien movie!
Ellen Ripley was the only survivor of the Company’s first contact with Xenomorph XX121; she entered hypersleep believing that her shuttle would be picked up when it passed through the more heavily traveled shipping lanes. In 2159, Ripley’s sleep was briefly interrupted when the shuttle was diverted to an orbit over LV-178. Following events aboard the Marion, Ripley’s memory was adjusted and the shuttle was returned to its course. The shuttle’s beacon failed shortly thereafter, and the Narcissus drifted through and beyond the Core Systems. In 2137, Ripley’s only child, Amanda Ripley, also encountered Xenomorph XX121 at...
That alone was worth the read. Other things I liked were the backgrounds on some of the characters in the movies. For example:
Following the tragic loss of the UAS Troop Carrier Archangel under his command in 2109, Cpt. Dallas’ flight status was revoked, and he was dishonorably discharged from military service.
Many characters are listed as having substance abuse problems but my favorite aside was learning that this guy
was so nuts he wrote his reports in haiku.
The book also includes that famous memo "signed Burke, Carter J" that Ripley was going to use to "nail him right to the wall."
Reading it was my first mental movie rewrite. I thought when Ripley said Burke sent them (colonists) there with out warning them she meant when the planet was original chosen as a shake and bake terraforming/mining operation. After all, Weyland Corp knew from Ash's reports that there was an alien ship and xenomorph eggs on LV 426. But no, when you read Burkes memo you find out he sent out some colonists to investigate Ripley's statements. He's actually excited that they lost contact with the colony because it further backs up Ripley's claims. "This creature she describes could make our bioweapons division."
Oh yeah, Burke was a solid douche bag. But this book is a report written by Weyland Corp and they saw Burke differently.
"Burke’s plans were not without worth—he recognized opportunities and pursued them—but they were not thoughtfully implemented or properly sourced. He should have brought in private contractors rather than the military. He should have requested comprehensive funding. At the very least, he should have sedated the hosts before implantation. Burke’s heart was in the right place, but he didn’t think his decisions through."
Really bitches? And yet this statement was worse.
"Ripley slipped into an EVA suit, then lured the creature away from cover and ejected it from the craft, neutralizing the Company’s first opportunity to obtain this vital resource. While her survival instinct was undeniably impressive, a loyal employee would have looked for ways to save the specimen once he or she was safely strapped into an EVA suit."
Now for what I didn't like. Unless there were some massive formatting edits before today's publication DO NOT BUY THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS BOOK. It sucks. Hell, it's almost completely illegible at times.
Even when it looks like it's right just try and read it...
Seriously, I've read monster porn with better editing.
The book does not give up anything on the Engineers or on the black accelerant - it says that information is classified beyond the level of this report (book). *coughs* cop out *coughs* major cop out *coughs*
My biggest complaint is that while many characters are expanded upon the ones I was interested in were not. Nothing is said as to the reason/motivation of some of the randomly destructive things David decided to do aboard the Prometheus.
Vasquez and Hicks - I wanted to know everything about them but their backgrounds were skipped!
But most egregiously, there is no love for Hudson. Seriously, how do you write a book about the Alien franchise and not find a few pages for Hudson?
As is, this book is stretching itself towards three stars. As a fully edited coffee table book it has to be better.
February 9, 2017
'Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report' by S. D. Perry with illustrations by Markus Pansegrau and John R. Mullaney is a fictional corporate report which also pays tribute to the Alien films.
Starting with the various forms of the alien species known as XX121, from egg to chestburster to full grown acid breathing terror, the book sets out to show how the Weyland-Yutani corporation found the species and their attempts at capturing one to be used for immense profit. There is a company timeline with notes about the inventions created by the company: Weapons, artificially intelligent beings like David and Bishop, and space craft. The sense you get about the corporation is that they are very determined, and yet, not the most competent at acquiring their dream, even after such a long time.
The movies are covered in chronological order. Stills from the film and closeups of vehicles and weapons are shown.
For fans of the films, there isn't a lot of new information here, but it's still fun to look through. There isn't really a full synopsis of each film, but there was enough personal narrative and such to remind me of the plot of some of the films I hadn't seen for a long time.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Insight Editions and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Starting with the various forms of the alien species known as XX121, from egg to chestburster to full grown acid breathing terror, the book sets out to show how the Weyland-Yutani corporation found the species and their attempts at capturing one to be used for immense profit. There is a company timeline with notes about the inventions created by the company: Weapons, artificially intelligent beings like David and Bishop, and space craft. The sense you get about the corporation is that they are very determined, and yet, not the most competent at acquiring their dream, even after such a long time.
The movies are covered in chronological order. Stills from the film and closeups of vehicles and weapons are shown.
For fans of the films, there isn't a lot of new information here, but it's still fun to look through. There isn't really a full synopsis of each film, but there was enough personal narrative and such to remind me of the plot of some of the films I hadn't seen for a long time.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Insight Editions and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
February 2, 2021
I'll keep this short, but to sum it up efficiently, I consider this to be the definitive resource on the Alien Universe. Though it does not contain details about Alien: Covenant (owing to the fact it was released prior to the release of the film), that is not a bad thing. As an avid fan of the franchise, with my own intentions to write stories based around these creatures and in this universe, it provides detailed information on the Xenomorphs themselves as well as technology, characters and elements of the stories. If you're looking to get a deeper understanding of the series, this is 100% worth grabbing.
February 28, 2017
A must-have for any fan of the Alien film series. This book retells the Alien saga in the form of an in-universe corporate report. It draws most of its material from the first two films, but also does a good job of explaining inconsistencies in the later movies.
May 19, 2016
Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report by S. D. Perry is an excellent book on all the Alien movies. It is in a format of an official report on all that happened and a complete understanding of why things went the way they did. The reader learns extra tidbits about the character's lives that isn't told in the movies. It discusses the life cycle of the alien in more detail, and more about the alien itself. There is plenty about the vehicles, weapons, and places in the movies also. Even the robots and the upgrades. I found it fascinating. These are all the things the movie can't stop and explain to the viewer. The kindle ARC edition is formatted strange but the pictures are excellent and I can't wait to buy the hardcover now to see it the way it is suppose to be. As an Alien fan, I learned so much and I thought I already knew plenty since I have watched these movies a dozen times. Great layout. Great pictures and information. Can't wait to get it. I received this ARC book from NetGalley for a honest review.
June 12, 2016
This is an absolute MUST have for fans of the alien franchise.
The report ties together all the films with beautiful photographs and artwork as well as articles, character log entries, and confidential Company records.
*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
The report ties together all the films with beautiful photographs and artwork as well as articles, character log entries, and confidential Company records.
*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
October 25, 2019
Originally published October 17, 2016, at BORG.com.
Weyland-Yutani Report reveals corporate secrets of Alien encounters
Review by C.J. Bunce
One of the best in-universe, sci-fi, tie-in books that we have come across is part of this year’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of James Cameron’s Aliens. Insight Editions’ Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is not only a great idea–a book that could have been a movie prop used by the likes of Paul Reiser’s junior executive Carter Burke–its execution is superb. Remove the title wrap and you have a mock leather-bound, heavy duty field guide that you might see passed around by the corporate types in the next Alien movie.
Written by Aliens, Star Trek, and Resident Evil tie-in novelist S.D. Perry with lavish artwork and designs by Markus Pansegrau and John R. Mullaney, The Weyland-Yutani Report pulls out all the stops to deliver a comprehensive Board of Directors summary guide to the findings and technology uncovered with the Alien movies beginning with Ridley Scott’s prequel Prometheus in 2012 to 1979’s Alien, to Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1986), and through to Alien: Resurrection (1997). (The Predator crossovers are not covered in The Report).
The most eye-opening data ties together–in a manner more clearly than portrayed in the films–Weyland-Yutani corporation and its founder Sir Peter Weyland, from details available in the films and information that was only character background that didn’t make it into the films. The goals of the corporation that were the fabric that connected all the films is investigated with some top secret findings (and some redacted), including the hierarchy and gross (as in chestburster) anatomy of the Xenomorphs, groundbreaking (future) scientific achievements of “The Company,” as well as weapons, ships, tools, and theories of alien beings and their connections to early Earthlings.
A $300+ version of The Weyland-Yutani Report was previously released in a trade edition with a Xenomorph cover, but the new hardcover is the better buy for a fraction of that price and includes substantially the same content. You’ll find eight fold-out pages and several inserted pieces of in-universe ephemera, including Lambert’s incident statement, a report on John Marachuk, a transcript of Corporal Hicks’ final status report (opening the possibility of his return in a later film?), and more. It’s a bit of an Alien collector’s “vault.”
Every major movie franchise deserves a great-looking, thoroughly researched, and comprehensive account like this, and the creative format of The Report sets a new standard for movie film tie-ins. The incredible cast of actors alone that are brought together here is astounding, too, everyone from Charlize Theron and Idris Elba to Michael Fassbender, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, and Veronica Cartwright, from Tom Skerritt to Michael Biehn, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, and, of course, Sigourney Weaver, all in one book, with H.R. Giger and Stan Winston designs and the likes of Ridley Scott and James Cameron at the helm. Great graphics and layouts, full-color thick pages, photographs from the films and new artwork, and smart text. It’s pretty hard to beat.
A book recommended for fans of the Aliens series. Aliens fans will also want to check out our review at borg.com of Aliens: The Set Photography from earlier this year.
Weyland-Yutani Report reveals corporate secrets of Alien encounters
Review by C.J. Bunce
One of the best in-universe, sci-fi, tie-in books that we have come across is part of this year’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of James Cameron’s Aliens. Insight Editions’ Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is not only a great idea–a book that could have been a movie prop used by the likes of Paul Reiser’s junior executive Carter Burke–its execution is superb. Remove the title wrap and you have a mock leather-bound, heavy duty field guide that you might see passed around by the corporate types in the next Alien movie.
Written by Aliens, Star Trek, and Resident Evil tie-in novelist S.D. Perry with lavish artwork and designs by Markus Pansegrau and John R. Mullaney, The Weyland-Yutani Report pulls out all the stops to deliver a comprehensive Board of Directors summary guide to the findings and technology uncovered with the Alien movies beginning with Ridley Scott’s prequel Prometheus in 2012 to 1979’s Alien, to Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1986), and through to Alien: Resurrection (1997). (The Predator crossovers are not covered in The Report).
The most eye-opening data ties together–in a manner more clearly than portrayed in the films–Weyland-Yutani corporation and its founder Sir Peter Weyland, from details available in the films and information that was only character background that didn’t make it into the films. The goals of the corporation that were the fabric that connected all the films is investigated with some top secret findings (and some redacted), including the hierarchy and gross (as in chestburster) anatomy of the Xenomorphs, groundbreaking (future) scientific achievements of “The Company,” as well as weapons, ships, tools, and theories of alien beings and their connections to early Earthlings.
A $300+ version of The Weyland-Yutani Report was previously released in a trade edition with a Xenomorph cover, but the new hardcover is the better buy for a fraction of that price and includes substantially the same content. You’ll find eight fold-out pages and several inserted pieces of in-universe ephemera, including Lambert’s incident statement, a report on John Marachuk, a transcript of Corporal Hicks’ final status report (opening the possibility of his return in a later film?), and more. It’s a bit of an Alien collector’s “vault.”
Every major movie franchise deserves a great-looking, thoroughly researched, and comprehensive account like this, and the creative format of The Report sets a new standard for movie film tie-ins. The incredible cast of actors alone that are brought together here is astounding, too, everyone from Charlize Theron and Idris Elba to Michael Fassbender, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, and Veronica Cartwright, from Tom Skerritt to Michael Biehn, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, and, of course, Sigourney Weaver, all in one book, with H.R. Giger and Stan Winston designs and the likes of Ridley Scott and James Cameron at the helm. Great graphics and layouts, full-color thick pages, photographs from the films and new artwork, and smart text. It’s pretty hard to beat.
A book recommended for fans of the Aliens series. Aliens fans will also want to check out our review at borg.com of Aliens: The Set Photography from earlier this year.
December 9, 2021
While it covers a lot of material that spans the first movie all the way up to Prometheus, it's ultimately light on many details, and should not be considered a definitive, or even a primary source, of data on the Alien movie franchise. It lacks lots of details that can be found in other sources, like the Colonial Marines Technical Manual and the Blueprints collection. It does, however, provide details these books do not offer.
Alien3 and Resurrection are some of the hardest movies to get any "in universe" details on, and the Weyland-Yutani Report does help alleviate that... a little bit. Good, hard details are sparse. The book dances along the lines of speculation a lot when talking about the xenomorph, and even puts in items are not anywhere near movie canon. The book is written (as titled) as a corporate report, so the writing is slanted towards the "evil company interests". While it sounds good on paper, much of the text that follows that theme feels one dimensional and at times, even forced.
If you are looking for more insights into the Alien franchise universe, this is a decent book if you think of it as a supplement to other sources.
Alien3 and Resurrection are some of the hardest movies to get any "in universe" details on, and the Weyland-Yutani Report does help alleviate that... a little bit. Good, hard details are sparse. The book dances along the lines of speculation a lot when talking about the xenomorph, and even puts in items are not anywhere near movie canon. The book is written (as titled) as a corporate report, so the writing is slanted towards the "evil company interests". While it sounds good on paper, much of the text that follows that theme feels one dimensional and at times, even forced.
If you are looking for more insights into the Alien franchise universe, this is a decent book if you think of it as a supplement to other sources.
October 8, 2018
As an Alien fan I thought I'd like this more than I did, but after having paid half an arm I found myself let down. This is not what it claims to be. It claims to be "told from the point of view of the nefarious Weyland-Yutani Corporation" and "features extensive information on the characters, locations, vehicles, and weapons from the movies". I expected art work, sketches, maybe even maps and in universe science notes and/or reports by characters from Xenomorph encounter locations (maybe even those actually shown in the movies), because that's what I was told would hide inside the plastic sheeting. But no, instead, it's a synopsis for each of the Alien movies with plenty of emphasis on the turd that is Prometheus.
October 18, 2020
Covering Prometheus and Aliens 1-4, with timelines, plots and character bios as seen from the perspective of the company, large amounts of colourful art, mostly in the form of movie shots. I quite liked the inserts of paper representing evidence from members at various events (eg, a write-up from Hicks).
February 2, 2022
Tarde un poco en leerlo por varios motivos pero no me decepcionó para nada. Muy interesante si sos fan de Alien. Sin embargo, como leí en otra reseña de por ahí, no hubiera usado tantas imágenes de la película en si, hubiera creado otras para añadirle más realismo al libro. De igual forma, lo recomiendo si te gusta mucho la saga.
August 9, 2021
超级好看！粉丝必备！
May 15, 2016
A very good book, especially for those who haven't been the most ardent Alien fans – chances are many people will find this a little light on new material. But first-person reportage from the characters in the film, and background material, go to make this an 'in-world' dossier from the company in the franchise, concerning their latest long-term aim, that of capturing, militarising and making use of the Xenomorph. After a look at the people in the company, and the baddy herself, it goes through all five films – clarifying the quite inept Prometheus, and giving much more credence to the goings-on in Alien Cubed and Alien Snore than the makers themselves did. It doesn't go too far towards hinting at the Prometheus sequel, or the other films planned, either. It's not perfect – like I say, the completist will love it yet simultaneously gain little, and it does get a bit heavy-handed with how daft the WU ideas actually are – but it's pretty good in that it revives a film series that never really overwhelmed after the first, and makes them all seem more appealing than memory does.
April 23, 2016
I have a feeling this is one of those books that only works in a physical format, preferably a hardcover that's slightly larger than average in dimension (almost a coffee table book).
However, the content is more than that. It delves into the history and mythos of the Alien series and expands upon so much. I wish I'd actually gotten a hardcopy so I could really review this properly. With the Kindle, it just has too many formatting issues that end up making some things into a puzzle to figure out (usually paragraphs, and it can get confusing). Benefit of the doubt here tho because what I did read I found intriguing and kind of amazing that there really was so much thought (on someone's part!) to have all this detail.
(I received a digital copy from Netgalley)
However, the content is more than that. It delves into the history and mythos of the Alien series and expands upon so much. I wish I'd actually gotten a hardcopy so I could really review this properly. With the Kindle, it just has too many formatting issues that end up making some things into a puzzle to figure out (usually paragraphs, and it can get confusing). Benefit of the doubt here tho because what I did read I found intriguing and kind of amazing that there really was so much thought (on someone's part!) to have all this detail.
(I received a digital copy from Netgalley)
May 2, 2016
5 stars
Huge thanks to S.D. Perry, Insight Editions and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This review is based on, what I imagine, the final physical edition of the book will be.
It does not transfer to digital edition too well but this didn't hamper my enjoyment of it too much, the illustrations are wonderful and the amount of detail is perfect.
We read about the weapons used, in depth information on the xenomorphs and the various crews from the films.
The physical book is now on my wish list as I know it will be a perfect edition to my collection.
Huge thanks to S.D. Perry, Insight Editions and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This review is based on, what I imagine, the final physical edition of the book will be.
It does not transfer to digital edition too well but this didn't hamper my enjoyment of it too much, the illustrations are wonderful and the amount of detail is perfect.
We read about the weapons used, in depth information on the xenomorphs and the various crews from the films.
The physical book is now on my wish list as I know it will be a perfect edition to my collection.
May 30, 2016
Sure I'd keep this on my imaginary coffee table. (Though I am in the "Must rewatch the films several times per year"-camp.) With full page pictures and illustrations, the "report" goes through all the events from the films, starting with Prometheus, making a sort of instruction manual for the W-Y's continued efforts to capture a xenomorph because reasons.
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