‘Prometheus’ Director Ridley Scott Says: ‘Really It’s Alien’

Ridley Scott just opened up about his new sci-fi hit The Martian, but perhaps even more enticing for fans were his comments on the upcoming Prometheus sequel. For a director who says that he approaches every project as though it were something special, many would agree that Ridley Scott rarely falls short of cinematic excellence.

Ridley Scott Sets The Record Straight On The Sequel To Prometheus

Is it Prometheus? Is it Alien? Is it both? According to Ridley Scott, The Prometheus sequel is really an Alien film, which was really what he had been planning to do from the very beginning. Scott explains that the Prometheus sequel will explore the origins of the creature from the first Alien film with a visit back to the engineer’s home planet. There, Ridley says the creature, which has continued to evolve through these many years, will present the team with a puzzle.

“Why did they make it? Why would they make such a terrifying beast? It felt bio-mechanoid, it felt like a weapon. And so the movie will explain that, and reintroduce the alien back into it.”

Mr. Scott also has the answer to the one question that has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Ridley says even his own creative team had been eager to know which aliens will be seen in this Prometheus–Alien sequel.

“We’ll have them all: egg, face-hugger, chest-burster, then the big boy,” says the Prometheus director. “I think maybe we can go another round or two.”

Great news for Alien fans! It definitely sounds as though Ridley has plans for more sequels. It seems the story of face-huggers and xenomorphs is far from over, but the Ridley is reluctant to take credit for the Alien legacy himself.

Scott credits the artwork of illustrator and creature designer H.R. Giger for creating something so special. He says that Giger’s work inspired the idea that there was more to Alien than just a mindless creature. Ridley is quick to say that, without Giger, the film wouldn’t have been the same.

Ridley Scott Wanted To Adapt The Martian, Even Though He Knew There Would Be A Few Road Bumps

Ridley Scott says he could see in his mind just how he would create The Martian for film, road bumps and all, as he read the novel. He wasn’t sure it would translate well onto the big screen, but, by page 90, Scott knew he had a hit on his hands.

Adapting The Martian for film presented a unique challenge for Ridley in that much of the film required voiceover work. The director says that his biggest concern was that the main character’s demeanor and humor would be lost in the voiceovers. Scott says that there was a real danger of losing the character in technology and in the tension of the story.

Another issue for Ridley that came up during production arose when the director consulted N.A.S.A. The Martian director learned that water in the form of ice glaciers had been discovered on the planet. Mr. Scott admits that adjusting the film to portray that new discovery would have ruined the entire story, so it was omitted.

The success of The Martian proves that Ridley Scott and Matt Damon worked well together and, as work on that Prometheus sequel confirms, Ridley has no intention of stopping now.

In fact, when asked about retirement, the director only proves that he has no plans to stop working anytime soon. Scott says he designed his production company around the idea that there should always be new projects waiting in the fold. Ridley says that there are already plans for four movies and four new television series for 2016.

The Martian, starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain, is currently showing in theaters.

[Featured image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]