Greedy studios executives? It's not art to them it's just a business. Is there any compelling reason why studio executives should care for anything but the continuance of their careers and the financial returns that they can secure for their studios in order that they should rise up the ladder to become studio bosses? Execs are not artists, believe me, I'm not even sure if they're human, but it's their job to guarantee a higher return for the studio's initial outlay. In a way they are a lot like investment bankers, no disrespect to the bankers of the world but when was the last time an art gallery had a showing of a high yield share portfolio? These people are money men, bean counters and like it or not they call the shots. Directors like Cameron, extremely principled artists and auteurs, are few and far between. It takes a big man/woman to get their back up and tell an uncreative moneyman where he can shove all those cards he's holding. I feel for Anderson, I really do as he has, to quote George Costanza: "no hand". He doesn't get to say how it's going to be and he has no right to final cut as he's just a director for hire, the same way you would hire a painter to paint the side of your house or an electrician to fix your wiring. He may be the writer/director but he's not an auteur, it's not his project, it's not his sandpit and they're not his toys. TwenCenFox owns all the toys and the sandpit and they had every right to kick him out if they didn't like the way he was playing. Sad but true. Until any of us AVP fans has the gumption, or more likely crazy-streak, to independantly finance, produce and create an AVP film with the hopes of being able to sell it to Fox on a negative pickup deal you have no choice but to accept the way things are and just enjoy the damn film. Let me just say right now that even if you did create the world's best Alien, Predator or AVP film using your own finances, time, blood, sweat and tears, they would still be well with their rights as owners of the intellectual property to refuse outright and turn around and sue you for infringement of copyright. Which would leave you out of pocket and with one hell of a fan-film which you could never screen. However, if you were crazy enough to go down this road and talented enough to pull it off, the world would be your oyster regardless of whether Fox agreed to your negative pickup demands. It would make one pretty bitchin' showreel and would open every door in Hollywood as everyone loves a go-getter, especially a crazy, passionate and talented go-getter. I urge those of you with more money than sense and time and talent to burn to give it a go, you've got my support you crazy sonofabitch, more power to you. But until that shining day, may it soon come, when the garage-school desktop filmmakers of the world are given sweetheart deals and six-figure greenlight contracts by major Hollywood studios for their crazy, passionate devotion to play with licensed film characters you're just going to have to learn to deal with the way things are.
