Michael Biehn is currently in attendance at the Sheffield Film and Comic Con. I’m also at the convention and Michael Biehn just finished his talk. It primarily focused on his work aside from Aliens but the topic of Alien 5 inevitably came up.
Biehn confirmed that Neill Blomkamp had talked to him about Alien 5 but he hasn’t read a script nor has he been offered a role. He also confirmed that Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5 will in fact be ignoring Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection as if they never happened.
Biehn also spoke briefly about his relationship with Neill Blomkamp. Neill had asked Biehn to audition for a role on Chappie. He didn’t specify which role but he did say that he recorded a tape and sent it off but ultimately didn’t get the role. Despite this Biehn said he was “certain” he would be in Alien 5 and he was “optimistic” about Alien 5.
Michael Biehn at the Sheffield Film & Comic-Con
It’s been speculated that Michael Biehn would be reprising his role as Corporal Hicks ever since Neill Blomkamp shared his Alien 5 concept art at the start of the year. It showed a much older Corporal Hicks with the left side of his face burnt by acid.
Hicks
but she implied she'd be involved when a fan asked if Ripley could get a happy ending in the new movie.
"Well – it's certainly something we've discussed," she replied. "I agree, she's had kind of a crap life. Many interruptions."
From I've seen of this franchise, anything is possible. Alien3 had face huggers that seemed to appear out of nowhere and Alien Resurrection showed us that you could somehow clone a human with an alien inside of you. All of a sudden the notion of a universe terrorized by aliens doesn't seem so odd...
Exactly. Newt could be completely different as an adult. Thinking the difference between Sarah Conor in the original Terminator film and Judgement Day.
You honestly don't have to follow the "official canon" if you dont want to. Its not like they are getting rid of every single copy of alien 3 out there.
And even more true, I felt as if some of them got a lot of mixed reviews as well. There's something about Hollywood trying to amplify the intensity behind some of the old iconic characters that either rubs people the wrong way or has them enjoy them more so than the original. However the ladder definitely is a rare case...
The same can't really be said of the vast majority of 80s/90s restart films that have come out in recent years. To be honest, most of them were greeted with a pretty indifferent response at best.
I would be looking forward to seeing what might come from it. However, it sounds like a big concept to pull off.
That's in the eyes of the beholder though. Sure it's critically acclaimed but I've met some Mad Max fans that didn't like it.
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Mad Max: Fury Road shows that it is.
However, for every one Fury Road we have about two dozen crap examples of how to tack a rubbish new entry/remake onto a classic series.
The torch passing dynamic is rather odd seeing as Ripley's contact with the alien was rather brief (a few days at most). If this is the case, how will it play out for the audience perceiving the plot? Are we to assume that xenomorphs were terrorizing the universe up until Newt turned 30?
So that would mean that the franchise would get passed on to another female lead.
What are the odds that Hicks dies twice in the Alien universe?
Plus it probably gave Blomkamp the opportunity to get Sigourney's ear so he could pitch the Alien 5 project to her. Smart.
I can't remember who posted it - someone on my Facebook but can't recall who - said that Biehn said they were looking to recast Newt with a 29/30 yo actress and that the idea would be Ripley would sort of pass on the torch to Newt. I can't find the frigging source though.
I'd imagine Weaver probably did sell it more. Plus, it balanced out the gender dynamic.
I saw Michael at the Glasgow con and he said that the role he auditioned for in Chappie was the role that eventually went to Sigourney.
It's possible, but you have to come to terms as a director with the fact that some will love your work, some will hate it, and others will be like, meh.
Agreed.
Difference here being Fox went out and asked for Resurrection if I'm remembering rightly. This time around we're getting it born off the back of someone's basic vision that he made public and generated a huge about of buzz about it.
http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3357432/blomkamps-alien-happening-youre-going-patient/
Can we NOT go the Bobby Ewing route?
Secure that Hudson!
Alien3 isn't in the collective memory of many people anymore and a lot of the people that are going to see Alien 5 weren't even born when it came out. That gives FOX a lot of slack if they choose to pick up the franchise at it's most critically acclaimed point and go from there.
At worst, the move is forgivable to a casual fan and should be understandable to the hardcore fans. It also offers a lot of potential for success for the studio.
Oh come on. Ripley should at least make a bad joke about it. Oh Newt! I had a bad dream you died in your sleep...
WHY?
Why do we need another Alien movie? AR was a classic example of what happens when Fox just wants more o' that Alien money: a buncha guys on a spaceship running around getting eaten. Who cares?
All we know so far is what Blomkamp intends to not do. Until we know what he plans to do, I just can't get interested in this movie. Prometheus 2 for me, please.
I agree with this. And I hope this is the case, even with the film being delayed now. I want alternative continuities.
How can we like the idea of an alien by using again and again Ripley.
The universe is infinite, the action could take place in thousands of planets.
No it is necessary to take back Ripley because otherwise understand the alien is nothing. In the end by taking back Ripley we know already that she will be the heroin of this magnificent history. All the horrific dimension will be erased. The alien is not any more a killer but a prey for Ripley the killer of insects....
PLZ I want of the imagination and not of the warmed !!!
I'm sorry but I think the dream-sequence-thing is a really cheap out IMO. First off, it's still a retcon that way and a retcon already cheapens things massively. At least when AVP cheapened things it did so in a way that could just be overlooked. The retcon cheapens things right smack in the middle of the franchises finest moments IMO. Second, NO ONE remembers their dreams in the third person, and in Prometheus, the 'dreams' are implants, meant to keep the brain active while in hypersleep - according to R Scott, anyway. It's not an out IMO, because I hate that plot device in Prometheus to begin with. Even though I despise the retcon of A3, I would rather they just ignored them than actually acknowledge them as some DEUS EX MACHINA, via inexplicably elaborate 3rd person nightmares.
I totally 100% agree with this guy. Make it a MIDQUEL. Sure the age-difference is a big issue but they can do wonders with CGI these days. For every person that trashes A3 there are equal people who love it. My feeling is that people like it way more than they want to admit to themselves. To me, Alien 3 is Alien meets Mad Max. Now, there is a director I'd love to see make an Alien film - George Miller!
Hmmmm.... This can be done in a way that isn't too explicit! If you maybe have a med-tech character who is dealing with only the survivors of the sulaco - medically speaking, who also has a background in the development of clones but is losing funding because of botched experiments - maybe clones were being develeoped as a replacement for or to enhance Synthetics - and this med-tech he is on board the WY space station, and maybe he becomes obsessed with the Alien, similar to Golic in A3, so anyway he takes tissue samples from the survivors to prove his cloning stuff is worthwhile and also delivering the cargo to WY that from the events in the new film, will make this guy a hero... It can even be left open for the viewer to make the connection. Ive always liked the idea of this Cult forming around the alien.
This is bullshit, Blomhack can't even think a good way to connect Alien 3 and Resurrection and make a real Alien 5 sequel, retconning the last 2 movies in favor or wet fan-fiction isn't just disrespectful but dumb as hell, if he can't find the way to make a proper Alien 5 then this movie is doomed.
True. i'd just like Blomkampf to just come out and say himself, this is what i want to do. It just seems to come through third person sometimes, so it gets lost if you get what i mean
I strongly, STRONGLY dislike the idea of Alien 3 and 4 being retconned, and I also strongly dislike the idea of multiple continuities...so unnecessary.
But in essence I am happy the series is getting three new films:
-Alien 5
-Prometheus 2
-Predator 4
At the moment I'm the least excited about Alien 5 due to it's idea of canceling Alien 3. I'm a huge fan of Alien 3...
Does this mean I'd like A3/4 retconned? No, I don't like the idea of multiple continuities. But I'm sure as hell excited to see where it goes and hope that it does a good job.
It's sad to say that everything is pointing to this turning out to be an 'okay' film at best. Based on what's been churned out by big studios over the last decade and the people involved with this project. Hopefully it'll be more than that, of course.
I understand Biehn's comments based on what he's been told but until a script appears, we cant say anything is 100%. Interesting that if Alien 5 is a retcon, that there has been no mention of Newt
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Either way, they both don't sound so ideal personally. It's such a mess in the sequence that it will be asinine trying to watch these films back to back. I'm still crossing my fingers for the execution though.