We’ve all been a little hesitant about this Alien prequel. We’ve always wanted more mythology, but it runs such a risk of ruining what makes Alien so goddamn scary.
But today, Deadline Hollywood Daily revealed some interesting plans, as well as its first signed star.
Noomi Rapace has signed to play science officer Elizabeth Shaw, which is good news, as she was Scott’s original pick. I’m sure she’ll be a bit of a homage to Ripley, and I’m perfectly cool with that. I like the conceit of consistently pitting women against these beasts.
Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron are both being considered for Vickers, “the tough and sexy 40something crewmember.”
But the biggest news may be that is that Prometheus is no longer — except in some possibly vague sense — a prequel. Says Scott: “While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.”
Lindelof further stressed the “not a prequel” point: “In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie. It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects.”
Plot details are, of course, being kept under wraps. This could all be a lot of elaborate marketing obfuscation, but if Scott and Lindelof have truly taken the prequel idea, run with it, and chucked it out for something new, the result could be what we really do crave: a fresh, original, and standalone Alien installment. There’s plenty of room to expand this universe into the black to scare the hell out of us again, and not circle back to a Space Jockey origin story. It really sounds as though they figured that out. Fingers crossed.
Prometheus has a release date of March 9, 2012.
18 comments
A stand-alone film set in the universe of Alien is cool by me. But tonally how close will it be to Alien? Will it feel (and look) like something completely original like Blade Runner? Less than fourteen short months and we’ll find out…
Chant the mantra with me, now: “Please don’t suck.” “Please don’t suck.” “Please don’t suck.”
I’m for it
Count me in. I’m really pleased he went with Noomi. Also: “Please don’t suck.”
So are they saying it’s the same world, but a distant relation? If it’s like that, where it’s not a direct prequel but a loose tie-in, that makes for exciting stuff.
Could just be PR but they seem MUCH more excited for this idea than another prequel. I know I am.
I’m down. I just really the use the fact that the Alien takes on the traits of the host. It allows for something potentially new, terrifying, but still familiar. I mean if it took on the traits of a snake, I would be dead terrified through out the movie.
Did everyone else hear the trailer-voiceover-guy when they read ” “In a world flooded with prequels…”?
If Scott has the balls to do a movie in the Alien universe that doesn’t even have the alien in it (e.g. the characters just worked for ‘The damned company) I’d be impressed. Pissed off, but impressed.
On the fence about this one, I so want it to be good. The thing that annoys me most about Aliens is that they took this ‘perfect organism’ that was unstoppable, and mowed down dozens of them. Sure, people got sprayed by acid etc as they got taken out but it took away so much of the mystique for me.
Hoping this one brings it back.
Please don’t suck.
isn’t it kind of funny how in the Star Wars movies any creature that can been seen even for a moment has a whole backstory but no one has ever tried to tell the story of the ‘Space Jockeys’?
except for a Dark Horse comic, yeah…
I’m going to make one prediction: Angelina Jolie in this will mean certain suckage
Curious to see what Ridley does with this one.
“Please don’t suck” ….but we all know it will. I wish all the time and keep getting disappointed by films.
I have NEVER liked Jolie, in any role. I wish she could vanish from all popular culture.
I don’t want a prequel to Alien. Alien was perfect as it was, not knowing about what the alien was or where it came from. Alien was a “monster-in-the-house” film. Classic. No need for a prequel. Backstory would hurt it.
Really, Nick?
The Girl with the Weyland-Yutani Tattoo. I honestly have yet to see a Scott film that I haven’t liked (even Someone to Watch Over Me), and God bless him for returning to scifi once again.
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