We all know who Dan O’Bannon is, don’t we? That fella who spawned the idea for Alien. Ya know him, he wrote the original Alien script? The one with the Snark and Robbie and an all male crew? Yeah, that guy! Well Den of Geek recently got chance to interview him:
“Did you have any more input into AvP2: Requiem than just your credit as having created the alien character?
No, no. You've got to understand that Walter Hill and David Giler, who have been attached to the project from the beginning, they hate my guts. Because they're scoundrels. They thought that by pulling a couple of fast ones that they could steal my screenplay credit from the original Alien.”
The interview covers a lot of his other movies but there is quite a bit about Alien/vs Predator in there. Dan seems like quite a bitter man to tell the truth, he talks a lot about his relationship with the producers, his opinions on the direction of the franchise and his own idea for AvP – which thank God, was never realized.
Be sure to read the whole thing. Den of Geek also has two more Alien related articles up: A Call For Aliens Without The Predator and The History of Xenosex. I haven’t read them yet so I don’t know what they’re about. Thanks to geestewart for the news.
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He's just mad because he'll get pwned by the new film!
"Videogame. I did have an idea that they didn’t use, and that was that the alien in his next phase turns into the predator. But they weren’t interested in hearing from me…at least it would have had some continuity between the two ideas." :o
Egh, that's a pretty crazy concept.
"and that was that the alien in his next phase turns into the predator" I hope that was mis-quoted. If what went on with Alien is true, I can understand he's upset, but man that idea suck worse than anything Paul A could pull out of his pockets :o
That second article "A Call For Aliens Without The Predator", man what a moron. Everybody knows Predator is the better film anyway. Alien is pretentious pulp.
are you kidding me? is this guy doped up or something? that's one of the dumbest concepts i've ever heard in my life.
After everything I've seen, maybe the franchises are over, they are doomed and everything I hoped for is gone. I hate to be negative about my favorite movies, but f$ck, that's it, game over man. This new movie looks mediocre at best.
Great articles, very enlightening. But the Alien to Predator concept...Glad they didn't listen to him!!
Alien turning into the Predator? This man clearly has dimensia and should be euthanized
Re: Sulaco No, there are ideas. It's just only those less able are choose to do new films. Fox aren't film makers, they're business men. They go with what sounds cool and'll make money, not good films.
Predator 1 is better than Alien 1 ? Because of story or what reason ??? ;D mightydreadlock, you're a stupid predator fanboy. Nothing more to say. ::)
Predator is the number 1 movie ever. Even Alien can't beat it.
So Predator is the last phase of the Alien? lol and to think some people said the Strause had f**ked up ideas...This guy is nuts! :D
Only in your personal opinions is it "better". You'll find that if you consult the top 100 lists of critics who know what they're talking about and the film-viewing public, at large, 'Alien' always scores much higher than 'PRedator' ever does. Don't base your feelings on action sequences being what makes a 'good' film. 'The Terminator' would never have become the classic it was, if all there was going for it were the action scenes. Besides which, 'Predator' only works marginally well as a horror. They're very different styles.
To me, the guy doesn't sound bitter; just someone who's managed to weather a lot of what the film industry threw at just about every writer, through those decades. It's an interesting read, for historical value. Very insightful. I don't know where his concept of Aliens becomnig Predators would have got the 'versus' theme from, though, as that would make them one and the same thing. I wouldn't agree with somehting like that being put on screen, but then, there's only a hint of it in that interview. The same which has been in others. I would need to know a lot more about it, before just condemning it, out of hand..
Even tho im a predator fan boy Alien is a better film than Predator & I agree with you Corporal Hicks about Fox being business people and not film makers :( The alien turning into a predator is a stupid idea/concept, lets not all dis dan tho, he did create the Alien which was executed well by giger and ridley in the original film :D
P.S the original Alien and Predator films are two different films and you cant really compare them to each other ;) they are both special in their own way
Predator is definitely better than Alien. Now comparing Predator and Aliens is a better comparison with Aliens taking it in a very very very close one.
Predator is better than alien
My Dad can beat youre Dad up.....
Alien is good but Predator is Excellent.
Aliens is way better than any film in these franchises! It has action, it has horror, it has everything! I personally think that Predator 2 is better than Predator. What's so scary about a jungle and some soldiers being hunted in the daylight? Aliens is the best!
I don't know why everyone's fighting about this, but for me Alien is the best film of the entire franchise(s), Predator being a close second. While I like the predator more as a concept, the alien never seez to amaze me with it's beautiful design, sheer brutality and unique reproduction method. There is no doubt they are the best and scariest sci-fi creatures we've ever seen and we're lucky to have 'em.
you know I've never heard such bollocks in my life.I mean really.
look i luv Predator but probably have to say that Alien is the better movie, then Predator is joint second with Aliens
predator is way better than alien.
without alien there would be no predator. alien is better in every way.
Guys, this isn't about which film is better, its about this old and bitter writer. Interesting interview, I wonder what he will think about the second.
aliens is better than predator. no wait, predator is better than aliens. screw it, RODENTZ is better than all of em.
Alien turns into Predator????? Anderson's idea is pure genius compared to that idea; I could come up with a better scrpt than that!
O'Bannnon has done some great work over the years. I love Return of the Living Dead and Lifeforce. Lifeforce is a very underrated film. His AvP idea stinks to high heavens, but I'd love to sit down and hear what he had to say at least.
O'Bannon's always been an eccentric character. It comes with the territory, walking the fine line between creative genius and madness. His conspiracy theories are getting rather stale though.
Some of what he says is true. The re-writers did try to jack his stuff and that would infuriate ANYONE. That said the rewrite of his original script was infinately superior to his watered down/star wars dialogue script. The man does have talent.........but like George Lucas, his works ultimately suffer from half realized ideas (the highest critically rated SW film is Empire Strikes back which George Lucas neither wrote the script for nor directed) and hokey ass dialogue. Half of it is tampering with his work and it being superior, the other half, they tried to steal it. O'bannon was youngish at the time of Alien's production, so having something like that happen on your first handful of movies is bound to make you world weary way to early. I'm sure if Fincher gave an interview about Alien 3 he'd be pretty pissed off at the studio heads and the script tamperation as well.
An alien turning into a predator? How stupid is that? Jesus, with those kind of idea flowing through his head, Im glad FOX didin't want anything to do with him.
on a tales from the crypt season dvd in the extra feature their is a question both from an event, and it had one of the producers of the show, and the subject was about a tatto comming to life, or something... In the old comic book the picture shows the tatto emerging from the chest, and the producer of Tales, said "Walter Hill once told me that picture is what made me think of Alien."---So some people still belive Walter Hill, and If I would have been their I would have stood up in the question line, and informed him who realy created Alien.
aliens were created by the spece jokeys as a WEPON!!!! meant to invade and swarm an entire planet in less than a month!!!!! >:D >:D >:D >:D predators suck. :P
You know all of us love Alien. I do agree for Dan to get mad at AVP but I think is nonsence for him critizizing AVP R when he hasnt even seen the movie :( Thats just my opinion.
most of these words are by a bitter old man who thinks just because he came up with a good idea or two he suddenly knows everything. If you watch the Alien special Edition its plainly obvious that some of his ideas needed re-working
Hey guys happy holidays . http://www.avp-r.com/happyholidays/
Indeed. Yet to almost get absolutely NO credit for thinking the idea up FIRST..........that is what upsets him. They changed his work all around and then tried to take soul credit of it. O'Bannon didn't ghostwrite Alien. He thought it up with Shushett and Walter Hill and Giler didn't come along until AFTER the success of Star Wars. In which case they changed things around. Hill and Giler's version is infinately better than Starbeast, but Starbeast was Alien before it got its makeover and became promqueen. He has a right to be upset. And yes both Giler and Hill now credit O'bannon with the original concept. Its in the quadrilogy. From O'bannon's word they HAVE to since his lawyers came down on them.
Dan is the man as far as I am concerned. His Alien into Predator idea is pretty out there, but I'm sure no one would accept it anyway. This guy has way too much experience for any of us internet personalities to try and figure out or criticize. He's lived it. It would be hard for anyone to have to realize that one fo their babies (Alien) grew up into something he hates. I like what he has to say about sequels and about beating it all to death. I agree that AVP really makes the original Alien movies feel less significant.
Seems he's getting a chance to make an Alien clone with They Bite. Be interesting to see. Not enough scifi/horror monster movies produced anymore.
The "Alien" film is a classic. The "Predator" filmS are infinitesimal in comparison. The Alien into Predator idea is awful.
has anyone been to ign.com :D there is a new avp face off poll. remember to vote
i just read that guy's article "call for aliens without predator". terrible. he doesnt speak for us all. cause when i first saw the joining of the franchises in comic form and bought them, i was happy as can be. and his blabbering about "his" alien game idea is pathetic. gearbox will deliver a far more intense experience from the colonial marines perspective and i hope the game dissapoints this guy.
I think he was speaking of a quasi update of the Alien Trilogy video game. Say what you want, but AT was classic stuff at the time. Still have fond memories of it till this day and it was a sprite based fps. Since AT is a staple among older fans of the series, I think his thoughts on the game are valid. I don't mind AvP, as long as it stays out of the Alien/Pred story. There is a reason every movie isn't an avp one.
The alien and predator movies are equal,theres no getting around that(although my favorite is P1).And i had the idea about the aliens turning into predators.....WHEN I WAS 7!!!!.Ya,he may have thought up alien,but i thank every diety and demon out there that he did'nt help with the other movies!!!.
Also maybe he's like George Lucas,when MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE came out they had to get rid of Orco because Lucas said they were stealing his idea from his movie(or some s**t like that).Also he's like what,97?(he sure looks it).He whould'nt know a good movie if it jumped up and licked him on the a$$.I think those other guys had a good idea on trying to get rid of him.And where the f**k is the continuity of the aliens turning into preds?.Theres none at all!!!!.Thank the heavens and the underworlds they ditched him.
Predator will always be my number one, but within the Alien series, I actually prefer Aliens and Alien 3 over Alien. In my opinion, Alien 3 is a hugely underrated film. BTW, the Alien morphing to Predator idea is the worst idea I've ever heard. Absolutely horrific.
That is so true that predator is better then alien.
i think that is a real dumb idea of what dan o'bannon said about the alien's final cycle for it to become the predator. that is so stupid. i think he was drunk or high on crack or something. i know he created a great franchise but saying that the alien turns into the predator is so gay.
Why are we talking about which movie is the best? There both about situations in which none of you would want to be in! What you should really be talking about is how the HELL ALIEN RESURECTION IS CLOSE TO ALIENS. INTERNET POLLS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT ALIEN RESURECTION IS VERY CLOSE TO ALIENS! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
We hear Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pirre Jeunet, John McTiernan and Stephen Hopkins and we think about the beloved Alien and Pred franchises. We hear Dan O'Bannon and we say "Didnt he write the first Alien movie?" His name should be credited but its rarely heard of within the universe. But for gods sake man grow the hell up and stop bitching like a little kid because your ideas about the aliens/pred will not go down well and mate get with the times coz it aint the 70's. Goddamn senior citizens dont know when to take their meds