Ridley Scott Moves Forward With New ‘Alien’ Film


Ridley Scott is set to bring his Alien franchise back to the big screen with the help of director Neill Blomkamp, reports Variety. Additionally, Scott is still involved with the Prometheus sequel, which 20th Century Fox is also making.

Originally, the plan was for a reboot that would star Alien veteran Sigourney Weaver and, while plans are back on track for the Alien film, it’s unclear as to whether there are still plans to involve Weaver in the project.

The new Alien film will take place in the same universe as the Prometheus sequel, but years later, according to insiders close to Mr. Scott. Presumably, the initial four Alien films take place after the Prometheus films, but before the new Alien film.

There currently are no scripts for either the Alien or the Prometheus sequels, so little else is known about the films.

Prometheus, which was also directed by Alien producer Ridley Scott, is based on the Alien films and, during its initial release, earned more than $400 million. In spite of the impressive earnings, Prometheus received lukewarm reviews, and 20th Century Fox hopes director Blomkamp will be able to bring Alien back into favor.

It seems even Neill Blomkamp, widely known for District 9, was unsure of his involvement in Ridley’s Alien film. Rolling Stone reported that he posted a photo of a Xenomorph to Instagram in January, leaking the news that he would be involved in a well-known sci-fi franchise, only to follow that up with the comment that the deal may have fallen through.

The same photo reappeared little more than a month later with a revealing new caption.

“Um… So I think it’s officially my next film.”

South African director Neill Blomkamp is known for his social commentary in films such as District 9 and Elysium, leading fans to speculate on what the new Alien film might involve as far as its storyline. Blomkamp will undoubtedly bring a compelling new look to Scott’s Alien franchise. Adding to his sci-fi credentials, Neill just completed work on Chappie, a film set in an oppressive future where society is patrolled and monitored by stoic mechanical officers. The title character becomes the first robot to develop feelings and to learn to think independently.

It may be interesting to see whether or not Sigourney Weaver does return to the Alien franchise. She recently spoke at the fifth annual Hero Complex Film Festival and revealed her own interest in returning to her iconic Ripley character from the original Alien films.

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