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David Woodruff Talks Alien 5

Just after the New Year, Neill Blomkamp of District 9 and Elysium fame revealed he’d been toying with his own Alien 5 project. Speaking about it recently he confirmed that there was some serious interest in creating the film. Recently Tom and David Woodruff (father and son), of Studio ADI and Generation Effects respectively, posted up their practical take on one of the concepts Neill posted:

Tom Woodruff models the make-up effects by David Woodruff, complete in Michael Beihn's original armour.  David Woodruff Talks Alien 5

Tom Woodruff models the make-up effects by David Woodruff.

Anyone who recognizes the name Woodruff will know that Tom Woodruff together with Alec Gillis, their company Studio ADI has produced the creature effects for all the Alien films since Alien 3. TheTerminatorFans spoke to David about putting the test together (including some extra photos), his opinions on moving the franchise forward and the possibility of AvP3 and Neill’s Alien 5:

“I haven’t heard anything about a 3rd installment, not even rumors. This Neill Blomkamp project is the first possibility I’ve seen or heard of of another Alien film and I’m all about it. I know the guys at Amalgamated Dynamics are pushing for something like this too. It’s time.”

130215_05 David Woodruff Talks Alien 5

Make sure you check out the entire interview!



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Comments: 78
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  1. DarthJoker45
    I apologize if someone else shared this, but a new interview was conducted with David by the site Sinful Celluloid. You can read the interview here.

    http://www.sinfulcelluloid.com/2015/03/exclusive-new-alien-5-hicks-make-up-test-shots-and-interview/

    They have new, exclusive pictures from the makeup test, but I cannot post the images on here because the site has all of the content protected to where I can't paste the images and any text from the interview.
  2. T Dog
    Those decisions are from over 20 years ago. Ripley's story was FINISHED. Then they dug up that story again for money. So Fox and Blomkamp need to work with that story if they are going to continue using that character. He doesn't HAVE to use Ripley. It was his choice. So if he's going to do that he ought to at least feature the clone version and just kill that story and FINALLY we can move on with the f**king series once and for all......
    This retcon is as bad as killing off the characters in the first place. Let's just MOVE ON!
  3. OpenMaw
    One thing to consider is that acid is very deceptive though, in terms of how much damage it does over time. Initial damage can grow worse over a matter of hours. Same of any burns, really. They tend to look a lot worse with time. Remember, Hicks gave himself a pain shot before Ripley went into the hive, and then Bishop gave him another one (and had already bandaged his face if I recall correctly.)

    I wouldn't put too much stock into these shots. They are done more to show off their makeup and lighting talent. All that stuff is just bits they had lying around.



    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 23, 2015, 11:40:34 AM
    So in an alien outbreak you have 12 hours to get the f**k out of the area?

    The Queen did have Ripley's DNA inside of her... probably making her more human bitchy than usual, she was also pregnant, hell she had one bring Ripley to her to watch the birth. What the f**k was up with that? Was she just gloating in Ripley's face? Like ha ha, check out my baby maker I got from you or did the queen accept her as a fellow alien? Surely the plan was to laugh at her and then facehug... no wait, no more eggs... eat her?

    ooohhhh that's right, she was not making any eggs... there was no reason to round up the silly humans as hosts. So the aliens pretty much just hung out at the hive. That's it eh.

    Though of course there were those eggs in the trap where they swam into the two aliens in the flooded mess hall... that was probably all the eggs pre-baby maker. That other alien was probably just on it's way to the hive and got lost. Just like Fifield did. So perhaps the other aliens were carrying the eggs there and opening the pipes to herded them to that room. No one ever appreciates the behind the scene teamwork.

    In the original script the aliens were doing something to the queen as I recall. Bathing her in blood or something. Gediman said something about them draining him of blood. The Newborn in the script was actually vampiric. Ripley was intended to be a snack for the creature, too. (There was none of that emotional bullshit like in the movie.)
  4. The Cruentus
    Quote from: OpenMaw on Mar 06, 2015, 12:38:16 PM
    They are clearly willing to listen. Wolf is a far superior Predator design when compared to Scar/Celtic/Gills.

    I agree...still dislike that predator though but thats due to his behavior not his appearance which was back to standards more or less. ADI do need to be bit more vocal when asked to do something, they should be like "no, Aliens are supposed to be bio-mechanic, this design flies in the face of that, we need to make it more like the orginal". Of course the problem is that the studio is the one with the power sadly and they like to cut corners and be lazy, so suits are re-used...bad suits. plus I am pretty sure ADI need to eat so they would have do their job no matter what, kinda sad really because despite the films they had to work, they are very talented and the blame should not be placed on their shoulders, I keep seeing people on here going "no ADI for Alien 5" when its directors and studio that made the design choices.

    I think Niell might go the bio-mechanical route...hopefully.
  5. The Cruentus
    Yeah you can't really have ago at these guys for the badness of the films, ADI are just told what to do. You can't ignore their talent, especially if it was put to good use rather than used to make designs of Aliens and Predators that fans don't like.


    For the Resurrection thing, I can accept the human dna mix explanation making them smooth, especially since it should have only been a one time thing since its limited to that particular breed but then AVP and its sequel came along and used fleshy design.

    If ADI works on Alien 5 which I have no problem with, I hope they try and go back to the original giger design, either dome or ridged, perhaps both to show evolution.
  6. Corporal Hicks
    http://geektyrant.com/news/badass-make-up-test-photos-for-corporal-hicks-in-new-alien-film

    A f**k tonne of more pictures of this:

    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de%2Ft%2F54f8b050e4b0d74787cdcd78%2F1425584231171%2Fbadass-make-up-test-photos-for-corporal-hicks-in-new-alien-film6%3Fformat%3D750w&hash=710cdde9ed460174dc17d28b52d84a788d3a6864
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de%2Ft%2F54f8b069e4b08454c435073f%2F1425584260570%2Fbadass-make-up-test-photos-for-corporal-hicks-in-new-alien-film7%3Fformat%3D750w&hash=00c557193294f1fc7c7c9fecdbc5a904948e1f69
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de%2Ft%2F54f8b0e8e4b0caf6dc0039da%2F1425584383705%2FHicks-Alien-V-6.jpg%3Fformat%3D1000w&hash=339d26469f7b9dacae8f5038bb4817754e04f59c
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de%2Ft%2F54f8b11ce4b09110a03537bc%2F1425584437955%2Fbadass-make-up-test-photos-for-corporal-hicks-in-new-alien-film10%3Fformat%3D750w&hash=1ad45d9ba66598e15aea01fdc8f9bcc1fa0f2f7d
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de%2Ft%2F54f8b157e4b09110a035393f%2F1425584496778%2Fbadass-make-up-test-photos-for-corporal-hicks-in-new-alien-film14%3Fformat%3D750w&hash=e8a88422554db09d2db7d3fbc86e48956d0fe7fe
    And a load of Woodruff's in that last picture.

    ...I really wanna see Biehn look like this.
  7. T Dog
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AM
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are reigned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.

    There was a video interview I saw with them recently where they say their reasoning for the AR look is that the alien has human DNA mixed in with it so it should appear to be more smooth. I buy that - but ti doesn't mean the design is interesting or good though.
  8. whiterabbit
    Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Feb 23, 2015, 11:16:07 AM
    Setting up their hive in the waste storage.
    So in an alien outbreak you have 12 hours to get the f**k out of the area?

    The Queen did have Ripley's DNA inside of her... probably making her more human bitchy than usual, she was also pregnant, hell she had one bring Ripley to her to watch the birth. What the f**k was up with that? Was she just gloating in Ripley's face? Like ha ha, check out my baby maker I got from you or did the queen accept her as a fellow alien? Surely the plan was to laugh at her and then facehug... no wait, no more eggs... eat her?

    ooohhhh that's right, she was not making any eggs... there was no reason to round up the silly humans as hosts. So the aliens pretty much just hung out at the hive. That's it eh.

    Though of course there were those eggs in the trap where they swam into the two aliens in the flooded mess hall... that was probably all the eggs pre-baby maker. That other alien was probably just on it's way to the hive and got lost. Just like Fifield did. So perhaps the other aliens were carrying the eggs there and opening the pipes to herded them to that room. No one ever appreciates the behind the scene teamwork.
  9. HuDaFuK
    Quote from: PsyKore on Feb 23, 2015, 10:48:24 AMThe Res-aliens really lack those aspects; they feel kinda aimless and it feels like they just happen to run into people now and then, even though it's probably not the directors intention.

    That's actually a really good point, now that you mention it... You never get the impression the survivors on the Auriga are being hunted. They just occasionally (like, twice) bump into some Aliens. What are the things doing all the rest of that time?
  10. PsyKore
    Quote from: Omegazilla on Feb 22, 2015, 08:27:45 AM
    They're just as slow as the first Alien.

    I mean the first one, and even Cameron's and Fincher's, had more wraith-like qualities at times, and they moved with real purpose. The Res-aliens really lack those aspects; they feel kinda aimless and it feels like they just happen to run into people now and then, even though it's probably not the directors intention. I dunno, it's just the impression I get from that movie, haha.
  11. whiterabbit
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstuffpoint.com%2Fscience-fiction%2Fimage%2F241188-science-fiction-alien-resurrection-screenshot.png&hash=813192b8736973207de80842b89d8c7b4c06e647

    Oh good god that alien drool...I don't remember it being that bad in other movies. Didn't ADI twerk the aliens for convenience in A|R, such as that fin they added to the tail so it would make the swimming look more legit? Plus they were just so damn slimy in A|R. They added a lot of crap that was not needed.
  12. OmegaZilla
    They're just as slow as the first Alien.

    They're fast when they want to -- see the underwater scene. Something that does bother me is how the Alien on the ladder does not just pull Wriess and Christie down with ease once it gets a good grip.
  13. PsyKore
    There's something lethargic about the aliens in AR. And I find they tend to just walk at their victims like they don't care. There's none of this attack-from-the-shadows business like in the prior films. Maybe I'm remembering wrong, I dunno, they just seemed more... unimaginative than usual.
  14. OpenMaw
    No, I think some of it has to do with performance, and the way that performance is presented too.

    One thing I utterly hate is the roaring they gave to the aliens, and in all the films post Resurrection, the really silly looking lip quivering.

  15. NetworkATTH
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 04:15:22 PM
    Quote from: NetworkATTH on Feb 21, 2015, 07:24:52 AM
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AM
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are riegned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.

    Why do you feel the need to over exaggerate.

    Not the one exaggerating things here.


    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstuffpoint.com%2Fscience-fiction%2Fimage%2F241188-science-fiction-alien-resurrection-screenshot.png&hash=813192b8736973207de80842b89d8c7b4c06e647

    literal. melted. cheese.

    http://media.giphy.com/media/bWVDG7IJxr8ME/giphy.gif

    it's what's for dinner.



    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 21, 2015, 09:11:27 AM
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AMA:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    You realise it was actually Jeunet who wanted a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy? He specifically told ADI to make the Newborn more human than Alien.

    We've all watched the same documentaries, read the same articles. The final visual thematics were in their hands, hence the eidting done post-wrap. More human than Alien is a very broad swath, and so is "make it delicate but dangerous".

    Aside from the context of the film itself, and opinions about texture, the mechanics of how the alien works are far superior to that of Alien, and depending on scene, Aliens. The opinion you have is about texture, and what material they used to present it.

    It's not a bad animatronic at all. It's actually really well built. The point of contention here is aesthetic difference, not performance. If you've seen ADI's other work, you would realize they're capable at their job, you just disagree with how they pulled the films off, over a decade ago.
  16. razeak
    Quote from: NetworkATTH on Feb 21, 2015, 07:24:52 AM
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AM
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are riegned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.

    Why do you feel the need to over exaggerate.

    It looked like a pretty accurate description actually. Melted cheese and scurvy were especially on point.
  17. Xhan
    Quote from: NetworkATTH on Feb 21, 2015, 07:24:52 AM
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AM
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are riegned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.

    Why do you feel the need to over exaggerate.

    Not the one exaggerating things here.


    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstuffpoint.com%2Fscience-fiction%2Fimage%2F241188-science-fiction-alien-resurrection-screenshot.png&hash=813192b8736973207de80842b89d8c7b4c06e647

    literal. melted. cheese.

    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FbWVDG7IJxr8ME%2Fgiphy.gif&hash=bd8ff54381a14fa1bb1801b866bc7774ac5278fa

    it's what's for dinner.



    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 21, 2015, 09:11:27 AM
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AMA:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    You realise it was actually Jeunet who wanted a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy? He specifically told ADI to make the Newborn more human than Alien.

    We've all watched the same documentaries, read the same articles. The final visual thematics were in their hands, hence the eidting done post-wrap. More human than Alien is a very broad swath, and so is "make it delicate but dangerous".
  18. NetworkATTH
    Quote from: Xhan on Feb 21, 2015, 06:15:36 AM
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are riegned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.

    Why do you feel the need to over exaggerate.
  19. Xhan
    Quote from: HuDaFuK on Feb 20, 2015, 11:31:03 PM
    Quote from: whiterabbit on Feb 20, 2015, 11:29:09 PMNo they don't.

    Alien 3 quite blatantly says they do.

    And the faults with the later movies is more the actual designs rather than the execution, and we've no idea to what extent they had those dictated to them.

    No, it doesn't. Woodruff and Gillis much like a certain director/producer who will remain unmentioned, do quite fine when they are reigned in and told in very exacting terms what is needed and what is not. When they're allowed to have free reign on "improving" already established designs, they suck gangrenous donkey balls. A:R was their show, and we got a fat albino hermaphrodite with scurvy and Giger's design turned into literal melted cheese.

    No thanks.
  20. OpenMaw
    Quote from: Gash on Feb 20, 2015, 11:27:18 PM
    You know what? I thought the work they did on The Thing prequel was amazing, and it was sad that it was replaced by inferior CGI, but let's face it, jumping in to recreate Hicks smacks a little of desperation. If they get the gig, I hope they do a good job of getting the Giger look back because they certainly have the skill.

    I suppose it depends on the intention behind these images. If it was done simply because they thought the concept art was cool, then Hell, I don't see anything desperate about it at all.

    Also I agree wholeheartedly with regards to The Thing prequel. Film had problems no matter what, but it's a damn shame all that hard work was literally covered up.
  21. Gash
    I would agree that in interviews ADI appeared to show scant regard for Giger's skill at creating his own design. Stating that they could do it better than he himself had. But hopefully they have to follow a director's instuctions, and if Blomkamp wanted something that looked as great as Giger's original then they would do it.

    Personally I don't doubt their abilities because I thought the half-destroyed Bishop in Alien3 was amazing, as was their practical stuff for The Thing. But if they are directed badly or left to their own interpretations, especially with something as beautifully designed as Giger's alien, then they are often deserving of the flack they might get, though sharing blame with the director.
  22. Gash
    You know what? I thought the work they did on The Thing prequel was amazing, and it was sad that it was replaced by inferior CGI, but let's face it, jumping in to recreate Hicks smacks a little of desperation. If they get the gig, I hope they do a good job of getting the Giger look back because they certainly have the skill.
  23. HuDaFuK
    I love these images. Good on Tom for having a bit of fun with it. He looks great in them too. I especially love the one that totally apes the concept picture Blomkamp released, where he's resting on his knees.
  24. OpenMaw
    Quote from: PsyKore on Feb 17, 2015, 01:27:20 PM
    All ADI has to do is go to the wreckers and find some car parts to stick on their aliens. Presto, biomechanical aliens and budget effective.

    I know you were just being witty, but I do think that's a little belittling to Giger's work on the original Alien.


    Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Feb 20, 2015, 09:03:55 AM
    https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11011266_10204392683709405_38277454844564295_n.jpg?oh=5dad47489584f1878fe7dab576922f26&oe=55906E40&__gda__=1431015210_56f9b1918917f71435fd47ee0474282e

    Tom Woodruff changed his Facebook profile picture.

    Oh yeah. I like it.
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