Blomkamp is officially making an Alien film

[gabgrave]

I find it interesting that lazy is being applied when they say the director isn't using what previous films did and going off on his own tangent, but somehow they don't consider it lazy when Hicks and Newt are just killed off in Alien 3 just so the director can do his own thing. 
Anyway, I'm just hoping not to hear any African accented English in the Alien 5 film. That would truly break the immersion.

[SpreadEagleBeagle]

Well, the Silent Hill games were beholden to the Silent Hill comics series and characters that first appeared in the comics also made their way into the games.

I specifically said "film sequels".

Also, the first AVP movie was like completely beholden to the first AVP comic ever, canonizing practically every single little detail about Predator culture that issue had to provide.

It took elements, but it's a loose adaptation at best, and isn't a direct sequel (or prequel, for that matter) of it. That's what I'm getting at.

Not ignoring the comics would mean having the third Alien film be a sequel to Female War. Something like that is never going to happen, at least not with this series. Yes, prequel comics were made for Predators, but they're not at all necessary to the plot and they were conceived after the film as marketing material; the film wasn't a continuation of the comics.

They don't want to get it because they find a retcon sequel valid per se by default. Anything retconning A3 and brining back Hicks is seen as extremely creative and "true".

I find it interesting that lazy is being applied when they say the director isn't using what previous films did and going off on his own tangent, but somehow they don't consider it lazy when Hicks and Newt are just killed off in Alien 3 just so the director can do his own thing. 
Anyway, I'm just hoping not to hear any African accented English in the Alien 5 film. That would truly break the immersion.

Oh my goodness. This can go on forever, please mr/ms/mrs trace back and check. Yore getting this backward assend forward in reverse.SiL nailed for anyone out there in doubt.

[predxeno]

Well, the Silent Hill games were beholden to the Silent Hill comics series and characters that first appeared in the comics also made their way into the games.

I specifically said "film sequels".

Well, not to put too fine a point on it but I think in this regard "film sequels" and "game sequels" can be used interchangeably since both the films and games are the core entries into the series for the AVP and Silent Hill franchises respectively.

Oh and I just remembered, the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed franchise also took its comic counterparts as canon as seen when...

Spoiler

Juno rescues Proxy in the comics and then Proxy turns up alive in The Force Unleashed II as in accordance to what happened in the comic predecessor.

[close]

Also, the first AVP movie was like completely beholden to the first AVP comic ever, canonizing practically every single little detail about Predator culture that issue had to provide.

It took elements, but it's a loose adaptation at best, and isn't a direct sequel (or prequel, for that matter) of it. That's what I'm getting at.

Not ignoring the comics would mean having the third Alien film be a sequel to Female War. Something like that is never going to happen, at least not with this series. Yes, prequel comics were made for Predators, but they're not at all necessary to the plot and they were conceived after the film as marketing material; the film wasn't a continuation of the comics.

While I agree with you that we won't be getting a movie sequel to an EU story, there's plenty of evidence in other franchises that future movie installments at least respect their EU enough to not directly contradict it.  In the past, I have disdained Ridley's disregard of the AVP movies because he outright chose to contradict them, however I do have more respect for Neil Blomkamp because despite the fact that he is making even BIGGER continuity deviations than Ridley, he at least said outright that his new movie(s) will take place in a different universe thus preventing a continuity war (if not a canon war) from breaking out.

[RakaiThwei]

This takes me back to when PREDATORS was being produced, and how there were arguments that PREDATORS was ignoring Predator 2 and the AvP films, and considering the conflicting statements with Rodriguez and Antal, Roddy claiming that it was a sequel to the first and only the first, and Antal claiming that it was a definitive Predator 3-- to where a lot of fans opted to take Antal's word over Rodriguez. Truthfully, no one's been able to conclude if the movie is Roddy's alternate P2, or if it is a definitive P3. I mean sure the movie doesn't contradict Predator 2, but it doesn't acknowledge it either-- same for the AvPs, so.. as far as the Predator side of things, the AVP's could still fit... Until Shane talks about where his movie fits.

It's almost the same thing here since this is supposed to be the fifth Alien movie, but it's going out of it's way to actually dismiss the third and fourth films apparently. So is it really a fifth Alien movie, or is it an alternative third? Well, if we look at what Blomkamp is saying, he's not going his way to undo Alien 3 and Resurrection but that statement is very vague as some have pointed out. He could either mean that the previous two sequels will always exist.. or he's only ignoring them and not jettisoning them out of canon, but not following them either. I'm hoping it's the latter.. but I don't want him explaining those movies away.

Truth be told.. I honestly did not want an Alien V. I think the franchise has been run down, and with the Ripley mandate going on.. It's like taking a retired race hound, and forcing it to race when it's tired and old. Does it sound selfish? Yes, absolutely and please forgive me for saying what I just said. But assuming that this movie merely migrates Alien 3 and Resurrection as canonical alternate timelines/universes while this new continuity ties to Prometheus... then I say this gives even fans more power to pick and choose, as the AVPs could be lumped in with Alien 3 and Resurrection as a different continuity lineage.

Unpopular opinion, I know but... my two cents.

I do have more respect for Neil Blomkamp because despite the fact that he is making even BIGGER continuity deviations than Ridley, he at least said outright that his new movie(s) will take place in a different universe thus preventing a continuity war (if not a canon war) from breaking out.

Aaaaah, PredXeno, you and me maybe cool but I gotta say that Blomkamp didn't explicitly state that this could be an alternate timeline. What he did say was that he had no intentions of undoing Alien 3 and Resurrection, but in another interview statement he also said that he considered his movie as the third following after Alien and Aliens (Gee, where did we hear THIS before in another related franchise?). So, he's not undoing Alien 3 and Resurrection... and you could take that however you will, but he's also not following them and treating his movie as the third.

I'm really pulling for if Blomkamp migrates and assigns by proxy Alien 3 and Resurrection as alternate timelines/universes but I also don't want him to acknowledge Alien 3 and Resurrection (he could incorporate elements such as Xenomorphs inheriting hosts traits) in an attempt to explain them away. You don't need a plot device such as dimensional transcendence or time travel for a franchise to have established alternatives. Even Corporal Hicks aka Mr. Percival saw I was correct in that.. Although he didn't agree on why there should be alternative timelines/universes.

[OmegaZilla]

What? It's entirely relevant.

It only is for the sake of your argument.

How many film sequels can you honestly name that were beholden to what licensed material invented in the interim?

How many reboots can you name that were beholden to what licensed material (including films) invented in the interim? Reboots select what to consider and what not to consider -- Superman Returns did; H20 did; Godzilla 1984 did; and so on and so forth. This is no different.

The movies didn't follow the comics because why would they? Did anybody honestly expect them to adapt the comics as movies? Hell no. Maybe some people, but certainly not the majority -- and certainly not the general audience of the films.

Among the general audience of the films, exactly how many people do you think expect Alien 3 and 4 to be respected? The majority of people does not even remember them, and those that do would rather not see a continuation of them. The only people that do affectionately care about it are the long time fans -- some of us. Not in case, the news of this reboot is elsewhere very welcome, and is only being criticized heavily in long time fan-centric sites, such as this one.

If Alien3 had been set post-comics, nobody would have any idea what the f**k was going on. There'd be this massive three-story arc of Aliens overrunning the Earth, Ripley, Hicks and Newt joining back up to fight Aliens, destroying homeworlds, etc. that would be entirely missing from the plot unless you went out and read the comics.

Or introduce it in a prologue. Or implement it through flashbacks. I mean, it's just some rightfully hard work to make it fit.

[predxeno]

Blomkamp has actually hinted quite heavily in other interviews that he is attempting to redefine continuity in the Alien franchise, and Weaver seems onboard with this idea as well.

[RakaiThwei]

Blomkamp has actually hinted quite heavily in other interviews that he is attempting to redefine continuity in the Alien franchise, and Weaver seems onboard with this idea as well.

There is no denying that! That much is certain!

I just hope we do end up with alternate timelines/universes, and not an explanation which renders Alien 3 and Resurrection as some trippy hallucination, or a bad dream, or something lame along those lines. And I don't want time travel in this. If Blomkamp wants to redefine continuity, yet still not undo Alien 3 and Resurrection-- he needs to do what Godzilla 1985 did and migrate the other movies as alternate timelines/universes.

[OmegaZilla]

Rakai, we get the concept. I don't think anybody onboard the film is ever going to think of such a hilariously dumb idea as making the third and fourth films dreams. It was born among fans and among fans it will most probably remain.

[Doktor Wunderbar]

In my opinion, he doesn't need to do that himself.  If he disregards those films completely, or even contradicts them, you're still free to enjoy them as their own separate continuity.

[RakaiThwei]

Rakai, we get the concept. I don't think anybody onboard the film is ever going to think of such a hilariously dumb idea as making the third and fourth films dreams. It was born among fans and among fans it will most probably remain.

I don't mean to repeat myself but.. I just.. I just haven't been happy with the way things have been going in the last five years regarding the franchises. I feel left out as a fan in enjoying things.

In my opinion, he doesn't need to do that himself.  If he disregards those films completely, or even contradicts them, you're still free to enjoy them as their own separate continuity.

I suppose that is true.

[SiL]

Well, not to put too fine a point on it but I think in this regard "film sequels" and "game sequels" can be used interchangeably

No, they can't. I specified film sequels for a reason.

It only is for the sake of your argument.

Because the argument has never been about cross-media pollination.

How many reboots can you name that were beholden to what licensed material (including films) invented in the interim? Reboots select what to consider and what not to consider -- Superman Returns did; H20 did; Godzilla 1984 did; and so on and so forth. This is no different.

When did I say they weren't lazy either...?

The majority of people does not even remember them,

That's a demonstrable load of crap

[OmegaZilla]

Because the argument has never been about cross-media pollination.

It is about supposed categorical laziness, however. I offered an example, and it was dismissed for entirely arbitrary reasons. "Why should we follow the comics," etc. -- by your reasoning, that's a lazy way of demolishing creative hurdles that would hinder the ideas of the films. 

That's a demonstrable load of crap

No, not really. The general audience does not remember, dislikes, or actively wants Alien 3 and 4 out of the way -- with a minimal portion that actually likes them. And then there are the fans, a good number of whom obviously do care -- but by no means are they a majority.

[OmegaZilla]

It's not arbitrary at all. Comics and novels aren't a hurdle to the movies in the first place. That precedent was never set.

It very much is. The precedent was set the moment they were inserted into continuity and contributed to the story themselves, as official entries. They were hurdles and they were dismissed without so much of a thought.

You're going to have to start providing some sort of support here.

As just an example, IMDb (the lowest common denominator film website) lists Alien as rated by (approximately) 460.000 users; Aliens by 410.000; Alien3 by 180.000; Alien: Resurrection by 150.000. You can see a pretty big drop on the sheer number of people that rate them. You can find similar results on other minor film-rating websites.

On a general basis, Alien and Aliens are routinely mentioned or referenced, whereas Alien3 and Alien: Resurrection aren't mentioned as frequently (or aren't remembered as fondly, or are deliberately skipped). That's speaking about generic websites, videos, online articles, etc. And that's just internet activity. Hell, you can just ask around -- people are continously surprised when I tell them there's a third and fourth Alien.

Most polls here seem to be leaning to people thinking this isn't the best idea.

Right. Here, a fansite called AvPGalaxy.

[SiL]

It very much is. The precedent was set the moment they were inserted into continuity and contributed to the story themselves, as official entries.

They clearly weren't inserted into continuity. That's the point. The movies continued regardless. Fox never considered them important: they were marketing.

A3 and 4 aren't as popular -- big difference between that and actively wanting them gone, or forgetting them. No-one I talk to is surprised there are four.

Right. Here, a fansite called AvPGalaxy.

Yes, because you said the majority of "the fans" don't care -- so where else would you look but a fan site ...?

(I deleted the post because I was going to write a more succinct version, then as I did you replied. Sorry.)

[OmegaZilla]

They clearly weren't inserted into continuity. That's the point. The movies continued regardless. Fox never considered them important: they were marketing.

They were, though. They continued the story and effectively constituted sequels, albeit in a different form. They weren't just marketing.

And by the same token, FOX isn't considering Alien 3 and 4 important, seeing as they approved this choice in the first place.

A3 and 4 aren't as popular -- big difference between that and actively wanting them gone, or forgetting them. No-one I talk to is surprised there are four.

Dunno. Many people I talk to have had similar reactions going. Obviously it's not quantifiable, but it's an obvious general direction.

Yes, because you said the majority of "the fans" don't care -- so where else would you look but a fan site ...?

Majority of the audience. Effectively the way I typed it left it open for misunderstanding. My bad.

(I deleted the post because I was going to write a more succinct version, then as I did you replied. Sorry.)

No problem. I thought it was a site bug or something like that.