Neill Blomkamp's (cancelled?) Alien 5 project

[Russ]

I'm not saying that "Ripley's Nightmare" is a good solution, but it is a workable one if you want to retcon the series (a la Superman). I can't really think of another way to work it if I'm honest.

And you have Newt who will now be grown up... the perfect person to take on to other movies if needs be. The first comic book really handled Hicks and Newt well (him being a pariah, her being mentally damaged).

I just think that the both AL III EN and A:R were so badly received outside of this forum-world where we are all hard-core fans of the franchises. Let's imagine that it did happen - can't you just see Blomkamp on the special features saying just that (assume an SA accent)

"Ja, we saw it as a real chance to back and redress what have come to be seen as the sins of the past. Look. Alien3 and Alien Resurrection are great movies and our film takes nothing away from them - but the real fans of the franchise were disappointed. I consider myself a real fan - Aliens was one of the reasons that I wanted to make movies. So I wanted to take things back to where I... and I think the majority of people ... think they should have been. We have a wider universe to explore -- Ripley - Ellen Ripley that is and not Ripley 8 -- Dwayne Hicks and Rebecca Jordin are part of that universe and I think their story needs to be told. So we're saying that the events of the previous two movies were the result of Hyperspace REM state - HyRem. Or, ja - it was all a dream. But I hope we're now going deliver the sequel to Aliens that the fans wanted back in the day."

What you say about leaving the Ripley family and Fox giving into pressure... Fox seem to have made it pretty clear that the new 'verse will have continuity with the Ripley family -I've not read the new novels (its my birthday on 21st Jan, though!) but Ripley (and Ash?) are in them, Amanda's in Isolation... that's a pretty clear mandate.

Giving into pressure - that can, has and always will be countered with "giving the fans what they want." Its exactly what they'll say when the reboot Resident Evil for instance. "Paul's movies were great, but the fans of the franchise always questioned why Alice - a character who didn't appear in the games, was the heroine of the movie. Sure, Paul wanted to make it accessible to non-gamers, but the first one was made back in the day when consoles weren't so prevalent. Now, that isn't the case, and fans of Resident Evil - I consider myself a fan... Playing Resident Evil was one of the reasons I wanted to make horror movies... deserve a story with the characters they've invested so much time with. With this movie, we're hoping to deliver exactly what the true fans want."

Shit, I should write this stuff for them *lol*

[wmmvrrvrrmm]

Of course, since the Space Jockey turned out to be a giant man in a suit, obviously the alien was Ripley in a suit all the time and perhaps the Alien 3 beast was Jones the cat in an alien suit too

[Nightmare Asylum]

Before some people start getting excited about the image of Sigourney and Neill, I just want to point out to those that aren't aware that that is from Chappie, Blomkamp's next film, which Weaver has a role in.

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

RakaiThwei the bottom picture was taken on the Chappie set shortly before production wrapped in mid-January last year. What is interesting is that Weaver barely features in Chappie according to people who have seen the preview/workprint screenings.

But why did Blomkamp fly her all the way out to Johannesburg for such a trivial role? Was it mainly to pitch her this idea for a new Alien film?

[Nightmare Asylum]

Probably just because he is a fan of her and wanted her in the role, and lately she's been taking a lot of smaller roles in sci-fi/horror films, basically glorified cameos. Maybe he discussed it with her, but I p honestly doubt there was any official pitch.

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

Yeah, I'm probably reading too much into it but you have to admit, a new Alien film proposition from Neill Blomkamp and Sigourney Weaver (who also happens to be a film producer) would be pretty hard for Fox to ignore or turn down.

[Visceral_Mass]

I think he has the right idea for how the series should have progressed after Aliens. The first movie had them investigate the signal, the second had them set up a colony near the discovered craft, so it makes sense the the third movie should have involved some sort of full scale operation by the company to recover and study the craft and its contents.

[HuDaFuK]

I'm not saying that "Ripley's Nightmare" is a good solution, but it is a workable one if you want to retcon the series (a la Superman). I can't really think of another way to work it if I'm honest.

I'd be really surprised if they retcon three and Resurrection, given that they just specifically elected not to do that when writing Sea of Sorrows.

[razeak]

Those are neat pieces. As much as I hated Hicks death when I was 12, I say just leave it go and move in an original direction with new actors and hopefully competent producers, directors and writers. Fox already protected Alien 3 and A:R during the production of A:CM(as sloppy as it is). I could assume if Weaver was a producer and threw her weight around with Neill it could maybe at least put the topic out there. The big question from that perspective, does Weaver have a beef with Alien 3? She certainly didn't champion anything  with A:R and she had the power to do so. I say leave that canon alone(save maybe removing A:CM) and call it a day as far as Ripley, Hicks and Newt goes. Their stories closed tragically, but effective and meaningful(maybe not so much Newt and Hicks, but so is life versus the Alien).




That being said, I certainly would not pass up the chance to see Weaver and Biehn in another Alien film canon be damned.

[WinterActual]

Oh man the image of Ripley and scarred Hicks, makes me giddy and depressed at the same time.  F@ck Alien 3!

Can't agree more. Alien 3 ruined the series.

[cyt0sk3l3t0n]

That helmet in the 6th picture is really bad. It looks silly, in my opinion. The rest is very nice and interesting, though.

[RakaiThwei]

I'd be really surprised if they retcon three and Resurrection, given that they just specifically elected not to do that when writing Sea of Sorrows.

Didn't they need convincing for their minds to be changed? Unless I am mistaken from what I've heard with the Golden interview.

[HuDaFuK]

Didn't they need convincing for their minds to be changed? Unless I am mistaken from what I've heard with the Golden interview.

Didn't sound that way to me. Golden simply said they originally briefed him to write the book so that it referenced only the first two films and ignored the later entries, but then they changed their mind before release and instead wanted to actively acknowledge them, and Golden had to alter the some small things in the book correspondingly.

That, coupled with the fact the upcoming Weyland-Yutani Report also goes into the characters and events of the third and fourth films, means I'd be very surprised if they've suddenly decided to retcon them.

[predxeno]

Oh man the image of Ripley and scarred Hicks, makes me giddy and depressed at the same time.  F@ck Alien 3!

Can't agree more. Alien 3 ruined the series.

Aliens was a step forward in an original direction after Alien, Alien 3 was a step back.

[predxeno]

Wow, there's so much negativity on this thread, I'll sign it if just to say I want an Alien movie that isn't a cheap Prometheus rip.