as with "the quatermass xperiment", the film rights to the series were purchased by hammer film productions — in this case after they had only read the scripts, before the series was even made. titled "quatermass 2", the film was released in 1957 and once again directed by val guest, with brian donlevy starring; unlike the first film, kneale wrote the screenplay himself. in the united states, the film was released under the title "enemy from space".