Director Neill Blomkamp, who was set to direct the alternate-sequel “Alien 5,” before it was indefinitely shelved, has shared some additional artwork via his Instagram. The pictures show a dropship docked in a hangar, as well as a Xenomorph emerging from the darkness in a ventilation shaft.
Xenomorph in Vent
Blomkamp also showed some conceptual character designs on Twitter, while reiterating the project as “never to be made.”
Just going through the volume of art created for this never to be made aliens sequel. From environments to characters to set design, we did a lot. Mostly over 2015. pic.twitter.com/nkfwHu3OF7
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) December 27, 2017
This is the first media share from the project by Blomkamp in a good while. However unlikely, with Disney in the process of acquiring the franchise assets of 20th Century Fox, we have to wonder if they might bring this project back into consideration. Blomkamp himself seemed amused at the suggestion:
The art is impressive and even if this project is never made, we’d love to see a book detailing these works.
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I don't have the time to finish the mock-up before my power (likely) goes out again due to the weather, but here's a little something I decided to muster since I said I'd have something on new years (audio is a bit off and it still needs some more editing):
I really wanted to have a little bit more than this to show for working my knuckles to the bone on this but this sonofabitch motherf**king got damned snow and ice is holding the threat of complete loss of power to my house and I'm contacting friends to see if anyone can pick up where I left off while I wait for this snow storm to weather down.
I like this concept. That could work, too. Honestly - I think the best route for another film would be as a Xeno-centric spinoff, since Scott has usurped the main story and made it about androids and AI, and also keeping a distance from Ripley and Hicks so as to not create too much of a distraction from the Xeno-centrality of it.
Wasn't that not meant to be literal?
As far as concept art goes it's on a level with Ward's Sheep-Alien, tbh.
I know Colonial Marines doesn't once detail what a thermal nuclear explosion means to anyone, but the fact that in Aliens they made it look like a massive detonation and NOT a powerplant melt down is abit strange. OTherwise if they stuck to Aliens, it would look worse that anything left by Fukashima and somewhere closer to the Trinity tests done in New Mexico.
USS Sulaco is found drifting through space, recovered, and taken to Anchorpoint. It apparently drifted through the UPP faction's territory.
Ship is deserted, signs of a fire, damage to major systems, and alien genetic material is recovered on board, and cultivated in the lab.
You could retain connections to Aliens in an Alien Isolation style. Have some kind of a log delivered via voice over from Hicks/Ripley. Since the script originally implied that UPP had similiar but less advanced tech (IE Soviet Union...In SPAAAACE) it would be a way to work in Working Joe type droids or something.
Aliens was a high point in the series. Ridley Scott had a chance, and while I do want him to finish up his prequel trilogy, I am mostly rooting for an alternate telling of the story post-Aliens, featuring Hicks, Newt and Ripley. Done well, this could be awesome.
Is this irony?
I think Zack Snyder dark sensibilities will make him do a great Alien film, just look at his remake of Dawn of the Dead, it was so good.
Plus, the guy sure knows how to make action pieces.
I think plenty of directors could fit the bill. Gore verbinski, Danny Boyle, frank Darabont and Tomas Alfredson all have experience in horror/sci fi, have a visual style that fits and are good with characters. Whether any of them would want to make an Alien movie is another matter.
The likes of Jennifer Kent or s craig zahler could be cool too although I'd worry about them lacking the experience of a production size this size.
Personally I think Ridley is the best man for the job but would be confident any of the above could make a great Alien movie.
Zack Snyder.
Peace, I'm out
I also want to see a new director, but as hard as i try to imagine someone who can fit in this universe, i end up with nothing...
So either you saw someone guilty of such or you are doling out a shotgun accusation over something that never happened. Your prerogative to back your accusation or stay on the fence and allow the readers to conclude who is really slinging bullshit. . . .
-Windebieste.
Some people here thrive on such Bullshit. That's all there is to it. Just watch 'em try and get away with denying it. Laugh in their face, I say. Tell them to f**k off and stop being sucked into the pit of misinformation and attempting to pass it off as 'Fact'.
It's not. It's just Bullshit. lol.
-Windebieste
Last week we reported on some new comments made by Ridley Scott and at the end of the article included a recent report from Omega Underground and a supporting tidbit we'd found about how Alien: Covenant 2 (aka Alien: Awakening) had initially been expected to start shooting next year. You can read the article here - Sir Ridley Scott Thinks Alien Should Be On "Same Level For Fans as Star Trek and Star Wars"
Since we posted that most of the larger outlets have ran with that rumour and it's pretty much all over the internet now. Couple that with Neill Blomkamp renewing general interest in his Alien 5 pitch by posting new concept art and the Internet seems abuzz with the notion that Fox has cancelled Alien: Covenant's sequel and Blomkamp's is back on.
Since most of these reports are referring back to us for finding the Blu-ray.com forum post, we wanted to just offer some extra context and clarification. We hadn't made it a headline ourselves as it was unconfirmed. Thanks to AvPGalaxy member Biomechanoid, we know that Human Media's public profile gives his real name as Carl Braga who according to IMDB worked on Alien: Covenant as a screen graphics designer. So the odds of the comment genuinely coming from someone who worked on the film seems quite likely.
However, the post was made in September of 2017 and referred to pre-production being originally slated to begin that month. Also back in September, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider discussed the future of the Alien series saying that Alien: Covenant had been a disappointment but that "I trust Ridley [Scott] and Emma [Watts] to know the right story when they find it." Just a couple of months earlier, in July, reports also came out that Fox had been "reassessing" the extra movies that Scott had initially wanted to do.
What this seems to indicate is that whatever direction Sir Ridley Scott had been leaning in for the Covenant sequel was not the one that 20th Century Fox ultimately wanted to move forward in. As a result of the reassessment, the sequel in it's then current form was likely shelved while Scott and Watt's explored a different direction for the sequel.
Fox representatives hadn't been shy about how Alien: Covenant hadn't performed as well as expected. Producer Fred Baron had told the Sydney Morning Herald: "It got great reviews and was everything we set out for it to be, it just didn't hit the note at the box office. It will be a profitable film for the studio but whether there's another one [is uncertain]."
Since these reports of the apparent reassessment of the direction of future Alien films, Scott has certainly been happily talking about his current direction, that the films would be moving towards Artificial Intelligence (and presumably David) taking an even more central role in his prequel films which would seem to indicate he's still working away on the concept.
In the same article this rumour had been generated from, we also reported that Scott had said that "they're crazy if they don't. David is a fantastic villain. I love what (Michael Fassbender) did in Covenant. But it's f—ing hard, dude. We lifted Alien out of a ditch and made Prometheus."
Does that mean that a sequel to Alien: Covenant is guaranteed? Of course not. It would seem to be that it is definitely not a green-lit certainty at this point. But it also doesn't mean that a sequel has been cancelled as work seems to be being done on it still.
100%
I want Alien Resurrection Ripley 2! I want. I want. I waaaaaant! With colonial marines of course. Ripley gives rise to a new generation of human-alien spices. New born if you will. A totally dark, twisted and royally f**king terrifying sequel. I've seen District 9 so I know bloomkamp can do f**king disgusting very well. Grow up man and do a proper alien sequel. Let the past go, man.
I imagine it's the most profitable role for her.
She was eager to do a different take on Ripley in Resurrection. She'd be eager to do yet another in an alternate Aliens sequel.
Very few people care about a continuation from Resurrection. Logically Blomkamp is choosing the more popular stepping off point. I dislike the idea, but Weaver might be to blame for that.
I never thought about it until now but, wouldn't the ending to Covenant be considered a good ending for David already? He goes out on top. He created his perfect organism. He managed to escape paradise, and set off into the sun with his own well-equipped ship, thousands of human hosts to further experiment with, and a workable/manageable destination to head towards. And he got away with all of dirty stuff he did. He's the Jack Sparrow of space, sailing his beloved pearl towards the setting sun. He won. It's kind of the best time to go out.
"I wouldn't be so quick too peg his film as a pure nostalgia trip for nostalgia's sake."
"The word "probably" is a fanboy's best friend"
That's a valid point. But one can expect certain things from Hollywood. Newt singing lucky star to an orphaned girl isn't out of the question. How many characters have said the, "come with me if you want to live" line in the terminator movies? Didn't David quote Blade Runner? Lines have been repeated in the predator movies, and many others. Easter egg connections to previous films for nostalgic reasons is far from uncommon. I could see that kind of stuff happening in N.B.'s Alien 5. Not because I dislike his films, but because I'd expect moments like that to be included when you're already bringing back dead characters. And can we not throw the word "fanboys" around, it's rather negative.
There is no way of knowing that is Blomkamp's intention. Yes, we've seen concept art of Ripley, Hicks and Adult Newt. However, there have been no real story points thrown out into the open. We're not even sure how he'd do the film without retconning it or if he will go ahead in another direction? I wouldn't be so quick too peg his film as a pure nostalgia trip for nostalgia's sake.
In no way do I mean to be critical or insulting, but love for something does not equate to the ability to deliver a quality product. N.B. could be the biggest Alien fan on earth, but that doesn't mean he's got what it takes to make a good Alien film, or that his ideas will be any good. The Ripley inclusion is the big eye roller for me.
It's just my opinion, but it's really a hard sell bringing back Weaver and crew. The movies were made, and Ripley, Hicks, and Newt died. They were good solid characters, but they were human beings. Stuff happened, they died. Bringing them back would feel like some sort of novelty. Gibson's Alien 3 is always there if anyone wants to know what happened if they all survived. But really, there's a nearly unlimited supply of new characters that could be created.
Think of it this way, "a new direction, in an actual Alien movie". No deviation by creating some prequel series that is all over the road, not some continuation of the previous alien films with the same old characters, but a brand new Alien movie with new characters. Novels and comics are written all the time that have nothing to do with Ripley, and nobody freaks out. I'm old enough to remember Alien 3 being considered the end of Ripley's character. The cloning thing was weird enough, but retconning entire films just to include dead characters adds restrictions on the kind of film that can be made. I'd rather any new "true" Alien film have as much creative room as possible.
But should it happen, dollars will get you doughnuts it would be throwback city. Newt would wind up saying the "mostly at night" line, and probably run across some orphaned girl who'd she'd protect, and probably sing "you are my lucky star" to. Thus becoming the new Ripley. It would just be too cheesy. Gads, can we not and say we didn't?
Exactly.
They brought her back once before in Alien Resurrection, they even made a joke about it in that movie "I thought you were dead" "Yeah I get that a lot".
That line of dialogue was more prophetic than they thought.
Agree.
Indiana didn't die in The Last Crusade or in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he's pretty much alive, Ripley died in Fiorina "Fury" 161, her story it's done, get over it.
Maybe a continuation of the Ripley8 story, but not Ellen Ripley. She died on Fiorina 161, and the others died in the crash.
i wouldnt put it past Blomkamp to erase prometheus and covenant from the canon, too
Everything I could never want from an Alien film right there.
This is an ace move by him. Much like he did with the original ALIEN 5 "leak", I have no doubts he's leaking this artwork out to get the fans talking about the movie again with the hopes Disney picks up on it.
It seems to me that the "ALIEN" fanbase is split between two polar opposites. Support/make ALIEN 5 and never make/support ALIEN 5.
If just this one time we could come together as a united ALIEN fanbase and throw our support behind ALIEN 5, it not only would bring back fan favorites Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Bishop(I'm highly confident Lance will star if given the chance) but remember, it would give Disney a "safer" entry into making their own ALIEN films. What better way to do this than make what pretty much everyone is calling ALIENS 2(sequel to one of the best movies ever made?).
I don't think Disney will pick a very cerebral Ridley Scott directed "Alien: Awakening" over a pretty much guaranteed hit in a Neill Blomkamp ALIENS sequel-ALIEN 5.
Disney will not want to foul up the franchise if you will and if they're smart, they could work with Neill in making ALIEN 5 a catalyst for a new series of ALIEN films with NEWT as our new heroine.
What we don't want as fans is Disney thinking there's not enough support for ALIEN 5 and not having confidence in Ridley thus the ALIEN films go on extended hiatus(I'm talking multiple years).
So I ask that fans kindly tweet support for ALIEN 5 to Disney/Pixar and Walt Disney Studios, along with Neill Blomkamp, Michael Biehn, Lance Henrickson and Carrie Henn(who all have actual Twitter accounts btw).
Keep the Alien films alive....support ALIEN 5!!
Your personal opinion doesn't matter. Neither does mine. Which is why I gave both audience and professional critic consensus scores. It's the only reasonable way to measure a film's quality.
I'm just posting the facts here. Not my problem if most of the world doesn't agree with you.
Which is why I quoted both critic and audience scores, professor.
But how about those guys at the Academy and Golden Globes? Are they "valid metrics for qualify his movies"[sic]?
There isn't really a good way to make it work.
But I've always thought the most expedient and canon way is a hypersleep-dream handwave. No one really likes it, but as I say, its established - from novels and now from Prometheus that we have the extremely lucid dreams in the old freezerinos.
You could literally show this in a few shots and it answers all the issues in one fell swoop. Sure, there's the Bobby Euwing / Dallas jokes, but hypersleep dreams weren't a big part of life on SouthFork whereas they are in AlienVerseLand. I recall in the beginning of Prometheus, they were used in a big scene with Noomi Rapace's character (and her dad, I think. I'm gonna watch it again tonight).
As I say - it's not brilliant, but it's established canon and probably the least convoluted way of doing it without wormholes or clones and stuff like that (for me at any rate. I can't think of a better way than this)