Alien: Covenant Early Reactions

[The Cruentus]

When is the q&a with Scott?

Tomorrow. 

But how (on a scale from 1 (bad) to 10) will you rate the movie?

It's currently sitting around 6/7 mark for me but I'd like to go see it again to digest it better.

Considering that the trailers revealed a lot, including who some of the victims were, did this film surprise you at all? did it meet or exceed your expectations given what you probably would have known about it already?

[Imbrie]

Quick question for those who have seen it now: does the ending of Covenant give a (relatively) good idea of where the next installment is headed?

[Predaker]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

[Robopadna]

Fox care canon and continuty. Fox will not release Weyland-Yutani Report  and let Alien 5 happen if they don't care



PS. AvP 1-2 Its not canon (Aliens: CM too)

I don't get what you are saying.  Fox does not care about canon in anywhere near the same way fans do.  They entirely intended to release Alien 5 but Ridley sort of put the brakes on all of that.  They absolutely do not actually care about anything in a secondary source like books/toys/games.  It is simply canon by default until it isn't.  Ridley is constructing the series.

Also, there is always a debate about what IS canon.  Dallas said the SJ looked to be thousands of years old due to fossilization.  What if he's simply wrong?  Maybe he doesn't understand conditions that may have caused 'accelerated' fossilization or maybe he doesn't have a clue how to judge the condition of an alien creature.

The Size differences regarding SJ has a few theories, one is that like humans and any animal really, that size simply varies among individuals, the other (which I find interesting) is that the Engineers are just emulating the SJs. Sjs being to them what Engineers are to us.

I know that second one is popular, but Ridley has concretely said that it was an engineer (that we see in Prometheus) in the chair in Alien.

[The Cruentus]

This is what I think probably bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Spoiler

So its born almost fully developed like the Runner was? But then this is not supposed to a true Xenomorph though right?

[close]

[Evanus]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Yeah, I think so too. I don't really like it either. You can't just change the design like that, imo.

[Predaker]

This is what I think probably bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Spoiler

So its born almost fully developed like the Runner was? But then this is not supposed to a true Xenomorph though right?

[close]

Just a guess based on a still we saw and one of Hicks' questions for Ridley.

[Rudiger]

The queen exists because Cameron knows that if you're going to make a successful sequel, then you need to give the audience something new. It's a genius idea and she's a fantastic character in her own right. Ripley fighting one or more run-of-the-mill aliens = boring (see all subsequent sequels). Ripley fighting one big, bad, ultimate bitch alien is thrilling and quite brilliant storytelling.

I love Aliens, I love the queen idea and the entire end sequence. But that cocoon sequence is just brilliant and so nightmarish. If it had remained in the final cut, I wonder what other ideas Cameron might have come up with.

[gantarat]

Fox care canon and continuty. Fox will not release Weyland-Yutani Report  and let Alien 5 happen if they don't care



PS. AvP 1-2 Its not canon (Aliens: CM too)

I don't get what you are saying.  Fox does not care about canon in anywhere near the same way fans do.  They entirely intended to release Alien 5 but Ridley sort of put the brakes on all of that.  They absolutely do not actually care about anything in a secondary source like books/toys/games.  It is simply canon by default until it isn't.  Ridley is constructing the series.

Also, there is always a debate about what IS canon.  Dallas said the SJ looked to be thousands of years old due to fossilization.  What if he's simply wrong?  Maybe he doesn't understand conditions that may have caused 'accelerated' fossilization or maybe he doesn't have a clue how to judge the condition of an alien creature.

The Size differences regarding SJ has a few theories, one is that like humans and any animal really, that size simply varies among individuals, the other (which I find interesting) is that the Engineers are just emulating the SJs. Sjs being to them what Engineers are to us.

I know that second one is popular, but Ridley has concretely said that it was an engineer (that we see in Prometheus) in the chair in Alien.

they care. fox own franchise not ridley.

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/tim-lebbon-interview-predator-incursion/

Tim Lebbon – The reason's probably more banal than your readers are hoping ... I like Yautja more as a name than Predators.
Fox/Titan told me that the canon material I had to adhere to included just the movies, ongoing comics and the previous Alien trilogy (me, Golden, Moore),

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/chris-roberson/

AvPG – Dark Horse's very first Aliens series found itself being contradicted by Alien 3 after the films release. From what I remember you guys worked closely with Fox to ensure it wouldn't conflict with Prometheus 2. Did this result in any significant changes?

CR – Yes.

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/paul-tobin/

AvPG – I was a little disappointed that the Engineer's weren't delved into too much in the series, especially after some of Elden's tirades in Aliens vs. Predator seemed to hint at all sorts of interesting possibilities – time travel, creating other species. How come the Fire and Stone series didn't explore them more? Was it a request from 20th Century Fox to keep away?

PT – We did have a request in place to stay away, to leave them room to develop their own thoughts in any upcoming movies, but it wasn't a request that bothered me, since I wouldn't have delved too deeply into the Engineers anyway. I think the mystery and the revelations of Engineers need to be slowly played out over time, and in fact never truly explained. They're beyond us, so any attempts to explain them would inevitably fall short.

[zoidy]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Yeah, I think so too. I don't really like it either. You can't just change the design like that, imo.

But the design even of the adult aliens, on the same planet, from the same eggs, changed between the first and second movies. It's only with time that you view it as normal.

Of course they can change the design. And probably should, if it works.

To be honest, a 'bambi' type burster is much more sensible than a worm, no?

[Evanus]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Yeah, I think so too. I don't really like it either. You can't just change the design like that, imo.

But the design even of the adult aliens, on the same planet, from the same eggs, changed between the first and second movies. It's only with time that you view it as normal.

Of course they can change the design. And probably should, if it works.

Yeah, but those design changes were not nearly as big as this:



I think this new design looks fine, but you simply shouldn't change the classic chestburster design. That's going too far.

[Predaker]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Yeah, I think so too. I don't really like it either. You can't just change the design like that, imo.

But the design even of the adult aliens, on the same planet, from the same eggs, changed between the first and second movies. It's only with time that you view it as normal.

Of course they can change the design. And probably should, if it works.

Some would argue it alters the lifecycle, so it's not just a minor aesthetic difference like ridged heads. I'm pretty sure this is what Hicks was referring to, but we will find out soon enough.

To be honest, a 'bambi' type burster is much more sensible than a worm, no?

I dunno, a chestburster can arguably sneak away to hide more easily while it's a vulnerable newborn.

[The Cruentus]

This is what I think possibly bothered HuDa and Hicks that contradicts the original film:

Spoiler

When the alien is born, it won't be the classic chestburster but a bambi-burster.

[close]

Yeah, I think so too. I don't really like it either. You can't just change the design like that, imo.

But the design even of the adult aliens, on the same planet, from the same eggs, changed between the first and second movies. It's only with time that you view it as normal.

Of course they can change the design. And probably should, if it works.

To be honest, a 'bambi' type burster is much more sensible than a worm, no?

In-universe, the change is down to maturity. The drone was only active for one day in Alien, while the drones in Aliens were active for weeks.

[Robopadna]

they care. fox own franchise not ridley.

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/tim-lebbon-interview-predator-incursion/

Tim Lebbon – The reason's probably more banal than your readers are hoping ... I like Yautja more as a name than Predators.
Fox/Titan told me that the canon material I had to adhere to included just the movies, ongoing comics and the previous Alien trilogy (me, Golden, Moore),

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/chris-roberson/

AvPG – Dark Horse's very first Aliens series found itself being contradicted by Alien 3 after the films release. From what I remember you guys worked closely with Fox to ensure it wouldn't conflict with Prometheus 2. Did this result in any significant changes?

CR – Yes.

http://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/paul-tobin/

AvPG – I was a little disappointed that the Engineer's weren't delved into too much in the series, especially after some of Elden's tirades in Aliens vs. Predator seemed to hint at all sorts of interesting possibilities – time travel, creating other species. How come the Fire and Stone series didn't explore them more? Was it a request from 20th Century Fox to keep away?

PT – We did have a request in place to stay away, to leave them room to develop their own thoughts in any upcoming movies, but it wasn't a request that bothered me, since I wouldn't have delved too deeply into the Engineers anyway. I think the mystery and the revelations of Engineers need to be slowly played out over time, and in fact never truly explained. They're beyond us, so any attempts to explain them would inevitably fall short.

Look, I know it means a lot to fans and we try and get some universe formed in our minds with a history and set of rules, but Fox does not care.  For a lot of fans that is tough to swallow because they want the people in charge of the property they love to care as much as they do.  But to them this is a franchise and a property they can generate a strong revenue stream out of.  The movie will dwarf any novel/comic book sales so they largely ignore them.

In my mind, that's pretty much the way to go.  They let people pay them to create materials based off of their licenses but you would be crazy to try and take anything that happens in them as canon.  If there is a way to make it more marketable they will negate anything they have ever done to do so.  There just isn't a real care for canon.  If you ask then, sure, they don't care, it's canon...   until there is another idea or they realize they didn't like that one.

It's a simple rule of business for them.  The only things that are fairly immovable are Alien and Prometheus.

[Predaker]

Don't suppose the canon discussion/arguments can go in a different thread?