25 Things You Didn't Know About Alien
16. Not A Single Promotional Or Production Image Of The Alien Was Released Before The Film's Premiere
In the run up to the film's release, the nature of the titular Alien and its appearance were kept strictly under wraps, withheld entirely from audiences. It doesn't show up in the original theatrical trailer and not one single photograph was allowed to be released to the public. Not even Alan Dean Foster, tasked with writing the novelisation, was shown any material.
This maintained the shock value intended for the audience, and the alien's grotesque, barely-humanoid appearance caused widespread horror. Its design at the time was unlike any previous cinematic extra-terrestrial, and remains unique and iconic to this day.