Given the box office returns of the Alien films, it's not unreasonable for Fox to expect a smaller budget. I am with the rest of you in hoping the prequels are as magnificent as the original, but it's worth considering that the most expensive sci-fi extravaganzas hardly match the aesthetic quality of alien or its first sequel, which are essentially low-budget films. To me, the alien never looked more real than in the first movie (Giger bias, I know) despite rudimentary effects. I suppose the point is that Ridley Scott can make an exceptional film with high production values without an obscene Avatar sized budget; he has done it before. I can't blame Fox for looking at the prequel from a profit standpoint, but hopefully they realize that a great film will attract audiences even with an R rating. Let's just see what happens, and I'll hope like you that it doesn't become an Alien 3 scale debacle.
