As Ridley Scott completes his work on the upcoming The Martian, reports are suggesting that Prometheus 2 could be his next project. The sequel would be the follow-up to his Alien prequel which saw Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender flying towards the Engineer’s homeworld in an attempt to find out why they want to destroy humanity. Earlier this month, it was being reported that Scott would actual begin filming the movie next January, although it wasn’t clear how this might affect production for Neill Blomkamp‘s Alien 5.
Now we are learning that Prometheus 2 could have a huge affect on the production of the next Alien movie. More on this story below.
According to Bloody Disgusting, Fox is still keen on Blomkamp’s Alien 5, and that Scott is still on board as producer. However it seems like Prometheus 2 is taking precedence, forcing Alien 5 to be put on hold.
Here’s what the site’s sources tell them:
“Alien 5 is still very much in the works, as Fox remains hot on the idea. Blomkamp continues to work on the script (only an outline existed previously) and refine the tale he is telling. Ridley Scott is still producing, but has insisted on Prometheus 2 being made first.”
While Scott has his mark on the Alien franchise, it only makes sense that he has more priority on Prometheus 2 since he is directing it, as opposed to Alien 5, where he is taking a back seat.
Now don’t think that because it is being pushed back that this is a bad thing for Blomkamp. While the director debuted with the highly praised District 9, he is coming off a string of critically panned films, and the delay could give him the chance to perfect the script as well as work out concepts.
As we have previously reported, Blomkamp’s Alien 5 won’t undo the Alien canon set up by Alien 3 or Alien Resurrection. And as his Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn‘s likenesses concept art suggested, Alien 5 would take place in between the events of Aliens and Alien 3, although that has yet to be confirmed.
During the Chappie press junket, Weaver said that when Blomkamp brought the idea of Alien 5 to her, he pitched it as a film that would be a “genetic sibling”:
“I want this film to feel like it is literally the genetic sibling of Aliens, so it’s Alien, Aliens, and then this film.”
While Scott has always been attached to numerous projects like Blade Runner 2, and was most recently attached to the El Chapo drama The Cartel, the report seems to support that Prometheus 2 will indeed be the director’s next project after The Martian.
[Source: Bloody Disgusting]
I seem to be in the minority for enjoying Prometheus. There’s enough Alien DNA in it to make the connection between universes but I, for one, actually like that it *didn’t* completely fill the gap or provide 100% of the answers. I’m excited for Prometheus 2 and wouldn’t mind a 3rd. Also very excited about Alien 5! First pair or Alien films are classics and the 3rd was enjoyable but I feel like Resurrection was a little too tongue in cheek. Maybe that it was “too serious” and in being so, felt like it didn’t take itself seriously enough? I don’t know…something about Resurrection felt like it jumped the shark in some way. I have high hopes that Alien 5 will re-invigorate the franchise! Just no more AVP.
Comment by PAUL — August 19, 2015 @ 8:39 am
I didn’t realize two films constituted a “string”.
Comment by jbird669 — August 19, 2015 @ 9:29 am
Ridley Scott had his chance and blew it. I don’t think a lot of people want to see another Prometheus movie, but I could be wrong. While visually stunning, it was a terrible movie. I definitely want to see what Blomkamp has in store for Alien 5, but I seriously doubt it’ll be set between Aliens and Alien3. That has to be the dumbest thing that I’ve ever heard about this new movie and I think that rumor is total BS.
Comment by Tommy Walker — August 19, 2015 @ 12:21 pm
If you find the fanedit that includes the logical outtakes mixed into the film. It is a much better watch.
Sadly no matter how much better a directors cut would make it, it’s still a film with no real ending and cannot be judged alone.
This is why having a script and ready to shoot only to have the Big Wigs decided they want to break it into two or three films is always a bad idea(Thank god the Matrix was able to end sufficiently enough without needing to watch the other two clustertucks)
Also The Terminator film by MCGee(or whatever) suffered greatly from this. Turns out that film was a helluva better then this last one and if you took away two or three scenes you’d have a pretty decent SciFi with some really cool scenes in it.
Comment by Midas68 — August 19, 2015 @ 4:34 pm
Id say Blomkamp blew it with his next two turkeys, Proved that Section 9 was more Section 8 but lucky.
Comment by Midas68 — August 19, 2015 @ 5:00 pm
You may be right about Big Wigs wanting to draw things out for sequels, no denying that! On the other hand, it works in some cases. Personally, I don’t require every movie I watch to be wrapped up neatly by the time credits roll, don’t need all questions answered, plot points explained, protagonists to escape unharmed, etc. In the case of Prometheus, I am OK with they way it ended without spoon feeding a resolution to us. The Matrix? I found it terribly difficult to endure three Matrix films, the 3rd especially! That Prometheus presented as many questions as it answered and left the end wide open? I’m OK with that. That the xenomorphs evolved throughout the film depending on the host that was infected? I think that presented enough of a logical leap to assume that these are the same creatures from the Alien films and that they take on characteristics of their hosts. That Shaw took off in the Engineers’ spacecraft with David and left the film with an open ending? I actually don’t see this as any different than what happened to Ripley at the end of Alien (didn’t she float off into space in hypersleep or something after ditching the Alien from the airlock?). Much of the criticism I’ve encountered surrounding Prometheus has to do with the lack of “Aliens” and that there were so many unanswered questions, but I don’t think it’s as far removed from the Alien universe as some of the haters do. It’s just…different. Take Alien as a stand alone film and it, too, asks just as many questions as it answers and it wasn’t until Aliens that we really learned anything about the creatures of the original film. I look forward to a Prometheus 2 and if it expands on Prometheus, then I think we’ll have something on the level of Alien/Aliens. Or maybe I’m just being optimistic.
Comment by PAUL — August 20, 2015 @ 10:46 am
Why terrible?
Comment by PAUL — August 20, 2015 @ 10:46 am
You mean “District 9?”
Comment by Tommy Walker — August 20, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
I think that it had an incredible set up, but started to fall apart as soon as the first two guys got lost in the Engineer base (Dumb and Dumber). I don’t want to bore you with a complete list, but between the acting, the black goo and the ending, I left the theater very ticked off and unsatisfied. I put a lot of the blame on Ridley Scott and I’m not a fan of his. But also, I don’t like Noomi Rapace and felt that she was a huge drag on the film. Just my opinion though…
Comment by Tommy Walker — August 20, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
Now that you mention it, I forgot about Dumb and Dumber and how they, as Scientists on an Intergalactic exploratory mission, should’ve known better than to do what they did inside the tunnels. Same with the idiots who tried to allow them back on the spacecraft after obviously falling ill/being infected. Noomi Rapace? I’m on the fence about her. Awesome in the Millenium Trilogy films but lead role in what could/should have been a summer blockbuster? Apparently not so awesome. Love Idris Elba but felt like Charlize Theron may’ve been wasted to some degree. As much as I stand up for Prometheus, I can still see it for it’s flaws and remain hopeful for the sequel. Then again, I also liked AVP (explicitly hated AVP2).
Comment by PAUL — August 20, 2015 @ 1:58 pm
I think we’re definitely in agreement on the points you made. I wanted SO much to love “Prometheus” and I defended the film up until it’s release. I was so enthralled with the initial trailer and marketing pictures — things that I readily posted on my social media pages. But it just didn’t deliver the movie that I wanted…and I know that was dumb of me to set myself up for disappointment. When the guy who brought the map drones got lost, I was thinking to myself, “He’s the MAP guy! Come on!” LOL
Yeah, Idris Elba was the best part of the movie and needed more scenes. Charlize and Guy Pierce were wasted in their roles. Fasbender did a good job and I’m glad he’ll be in the sequel (maybe reassembled). I’ll give it another go sometime and see if like a fine wine, it gets better with age. I liked AVP for the most part, with the exception of the alien gestation (the acceleration). And yeah, I hated AVP2 a lot. It reminded me of a mashup of a bunch of 80’s horror movies.
Comment by Tommy Walker — August 20, 2015 @ 4:01 pm