William Gibson's Alien 3 Script - AvPGalaxy Podcast #48

Started by Corporal Hicks, Apr 19, 2017, 05:34:49 PM

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William Gibson's Alien 3 Script - AvPGalaxy Podcast #48 (Read 18,833 times)

Corporal Hicks

We have just uploaded the 48th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download). April’s episode sees RidgeTop, Xenomorphine and I joined by Xenopedia editor and Alien vs. Predator Galaxy community member HuDaFuk as we walk through and discuss the first draft of William Gibson’s Alien 3 script!

William Gibson was the first writer to complete a script for Alien 3. He would also write a second (and in my opinion, much better) draft that we allude to several times throughout this podcast but this episode is primarily about the very first draft.

We go into some detail about the script and breakdown a lot of the elements including the New Beasts which seem to have inspired Alien: Covenant’s Neomorphs in some fashion.

If you're interested in reading the script yourself you can find it in our downloads section (along with many other drafts of the various other Alien/vs/Predator films). You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. We hope you enjoy!

Keep a close eye on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest Alien news! You can follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Alien fans on our forums!

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SpeedyMaxx

SpeedyMaxx

#1
I remember loving the first Gibson draft in high school. Minus Ripley being mostly absent, it was exactly the Aliens sequel I always wanted. I felt the oft-maligned cyberpunk "New Beast" was pretty different and cool too. It was something unique.

Today I acknowledge it's often pure fan service and very derivative of the second movie, but still an entertaining read, especially compared to the dour later A3 drafts and final film IMO. I do think Gibson's second draft is a lot better and more horror-oriented, but I also think that draft lacks a strong climax - it sort of just stops after a brief alien catfight in the docking bay, whereas the original draft has a great zero-g setpiece. If they'd added that to the second draft with just the two aliens in that version of the story it would be pretty ideal.

In any event: I still wish they'd made a version of Gibson's story.

KiramidHead

KiramidHead

#2
This should be fun to listen to. I've read the first Gibson draft, and liked it okay, but I'll admit there was too much shit going on. I'll be sure not to copy off you guys when I do the inevitable Alien 3 episode for my show. :laugh:


Finished listening, overall it was a very thorough examination of the draft. I had forgotten all about the lemurs and the cabbages. :laugh: And I'm expecting a real piece of shit from that AVPR draft, going on the remarks you guys have made in the last couple of script episodes. And a table read... I volunteer for a role. :laugh:

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#3
Quote from: SpeedyMaxx on Apr 19, 2017, 05:46:51 PM
In any event: I still wish they'd made a version of Gibson's story.

Personally I much prefer the second draft. It's a much less outrageous take on the story and it feels more in line with the actual films to me. I think I'd say the second draft is probably my favourite out of all of them. I do think it would have been great to see that zero-G combat (I go on about that all the time lol) though.

Quote from: KiramidHead on Apr 19, 2017, 05:53:51 PM
I'll be sure not to copy off you guys when I do the inevitable Alien 3 episode for my show. :laugh:

I'm looking forward to your episode on it. There's enough fodder in Alien 3 for you! lol

QuoteFinished listening, overall it was a very thorough examination of the draft. I had forgotten all about the lemurs and the cabbages. :laugh: And I'm expecting a real piece of shit from that AVPR draft, going on the remarks you guys have made in the last couple of script episodes. And a table read... I volunteer for a role. :laugh:

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I quite like doing these script episodes (admittedly I was tired towards the end of this one though). I could imagine nothing more cringe worthy that doing a roundtable reading.  :laugh:

KiramidHead

I think the Red draft alone will be Oliver Stone Conan levels of WTF.

And the Engineers episode will be soon... And I might do the Rodriguez script when The Predator comes around.  :-X

Corporal Hicks

The Red draft'll be as fun as the Predators one was, I think.  :laugh:

Valaquen

Ridley directing the Gibson 2nd draft... I would've loved to see that (Ridley was being tapped to direct it when Gibson was writing.)

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#7
Which is where I think they drew some inspiration for the Neomorphs. I think I mention that in the podcast actually.

Valaquen

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Apr 20, 2017, 12:01:46 PM
Which is where I think they drew some inspiration for the Neomorphs. I think I mention that in the podcast actually.

I wonder if they took the 'Alien in the corn rows' idea from Harlin/Eric Red  :laugh:

Whiskeybrewer

I love both of Gibson's drafts (with the second being the better of the two), but yeah the first one is so over the top. He did seem to throw everything into it.

And there is so much cannon fodder in the first draft, with what happens to all the residents of the Station. Especially the random focus on the scared woman with the bear, who's surrounded by people, then next shot, she's suddenly vanished, with the bear lying on the ground and no one notices anything lol

KiramidHead

I started reading the second draft. What I'm finding funny is how Gibson gets less specific as he describes the commandos. Kurtz is East German, DeSolis is Central American, and Chang is just from the Pacific Rim. Because that narrows it down. :laugh:

shawsbaby

Was Sigourney Weaver not interested initially in returning to the franchise? Is this why the Gibson versions have her comatose?

Local Trouble

Quote from: shawsbaby on Apr 20, 2017, 10:00:41 PM
Was Sigourney Weaver not interested initially in returning to the franchise? Is this why the Gibson versions have her comatose?

That's one of the best things about it.

SpeedyMaxx

I think the first draft has Hicks far too gung-ho for the more chill, taciturn dude in Aliens, but I think the second draft underplays him a bit too much. He sort of stumbles on a lot of other characters already doing things until the last act. There were also scenes with him interacting with Bishop and the machinist in the first draft pre-outbreak, talking about what he's been through, which I think could've survived - and I dug the angle where Hicks meets the drunk Tully in the bar and discovers what's up in the labs.

While the first draft is amped-up teen fantasy in a lot of ways, I think the second draft is pretty great. If it had that zero-G finale and a bit more overt action in story (not gunplay) for both Hicks and the two aliens, I'd be very happy with it overall.

It's also worth noting that while her screen time is mostly (mostly) the same, Newt is gone by around the 30-minute mark in draft 1, and lasts til like an hour in in draft 2.

KiramidHead

I do find it rather funny that one of the evil corporate characters is named Fox. I wonder if Gibson did that on purpose. Also, Welles and Fox remind me of the two ad executives from The Simpsons a bit. :laugh:

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