Neil Blomkamp Has "Moved On" From Alien 5

[Scorpio]

It's negative publicity.  It's not going to help the film, at the very least.

[SiL]

I don't think anyone avoided the film because of Blomkamp's project. If you have proof otherwise, I'd love to see it.

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

He managed to step on a lot of people's toes, trying to undermine a film already in production.  And he probably affected its box office as well.  Not very professional.  He deserved to have his film cancelled.

How did he "undermine a film already in production"? Covenant/Prometheus II wasn't even in active pre-production when he made his pitch to Fox. He even consulted with Scott in order to prevent his film conflicting with any possible planned prequels. Scott was also signed on as a producer, he would have gotten a nice pay-cheque if Blomkamp's film was released.

And how come "he deserved to have his film cancelled" when it was Fox who greenlit it in the first place?

[The Old One]

Yeah, I mean, I wish I could share more, but obviously Fox owns it.
It's just an unfortunate thing. I speak to Sigourney Weaver about it sometimes.
At this point it's kinda like the fire that was burning within me to make that is gone.
Stepping outside of even the legal kind of studio-based politics I just feel like its time has come and gone.
So, yeah... I think no. And I say that really reluctantly, because I cannot state how much of a fan of Sigourney Weaver I am and how much of a fan I am of ALIEN and ALIENS and the idea of doing a sequel film is amazing on all levels.
But, there's a point at which when you're years into it you have to move on. So, I think that has happened to me.

I wonder if this still holds true.

[Huggs]

Yeah, I mean, I wish I could share more, but obviously Fox owns it.
It's just an unfortunate thing. I speak to Sigourney Weaver about it sometimes.
At this point it's kinda like the fire that was burning within me to make that is gone.
Stepping outside of even the legal kind of studio-based politics I just feel like its time has come and gone.
So, yeah... I think no. And I say that really reluctantly, because I cannot state how much of a fan of Sigourney Weaver I am and how much of a fan I am of ALIEN and ALIENS and the idea of doing a sequel film is amazing on all levels.
But, there's a point at which when you're years into it you have to move on. So, I think that has happened to me.

I wonder if this still holds true.

With any luck.

It's nothing personal. I just don't care for the style and tone of his films. Nor do I believe he has the requisite talent and ideas to make a proper alien movie.

Neil is good at making his particular style of film, and that's all.

[Russ]

From what I read on here (my own straw poll if you like), I think that there are many people that would like to see Aliens2 (or Alien 5 if you prefer)  with a more respectful treatment of Hicks and Newt and so on (again, I don't want to get into Alien3 was perfect/nihilistic and all that - to some it is and others it isn't)

... but there doesn't seem to be much support for NB doing it even if his was his concepts that broke the internet every time something was leaked.

I think that the prospect of a Weaver / Biehn movie gets more remote with each year that goes by, more's the pity.

[Drukathi]

From what I read on here (my own straw poll if you like), I think that there are many people that would like to see Aliens2 (or Alien 5 if you prefer)  with a more respectful treatment of Hicks and Newt and so on (again, I don't want to get into Alien3 was perfect/nihilistic and all that - to some it is and others it isn't)

... but there doesn't seem to be much support for NB doing it even if his was his concepts that broke the internet every time something was leaked.

I think that the prospect of a Weaver / Biehn movie gets more remote with each year that goes by, more's the pity.

Well Aliens 2 can be shot without Ripley and Hicks but with Newt. Just be competent in creating a story.

[Russ]

Well Aliens 2 can be shot without Ripley and Hicks but with Newt. Just be competent in creating a story.

Sure, but that's kind of missing the point - it seemed like NB wanted to do a Quantum Leap and "set right what once went wrong" in terms of the treatment of Hicks and Newt in Alien3 and provide a more satisfying end to the trilogy than was served up in Alien3.

As I say, I don't want to turn this thread into "Alien3 rules" - I totally get that some people were perfectly happy with it. Equally, there are others (myself included) that were not.

I think actually that NB's idea started out as having nothing to do with the established characters, it was only after he got talking to Signourney Weaver on the Chappie project and she expressed an interest in doing the movie when he wrote them into the story.

I would have loved to have seen it - maybe he'll leak the treatment one day. 

[windebieste]

It wouldn't surprise me if Fox was very interested in Blomkamp's movie. Then they heard Weaver wanted it. 

Then Fox probably turned around and said "She had sooo much influence over 'ALIEN 3' and 'ALIEN Resurrection' - and look how they turned out.  Nope.  We're no longer interested.  Bye."

...and with the press of a button, Blomkamp's proposal got scuttled, sent down the chute into the dumpster. 

-Windebieste.

[Russ]

I dunno about that - I mean, sure, it's possible, but maybe its a "confusion" issue.

Like in Supergirl - one season they didn't have Superman in it cos BvS was out and WB didn't want to confuse audiences with which Superman was which (entirely contradictory that they have Flash, but it really makes no sense to me that they think people are really that stupid).

In this case, we've got the Prequels and then Alien5 - maybe they felt it was too much of the same thing going on and people "wouldn't understand").

Also, it's often said that Ridley Scott scuppered the project - I don't know how much truth there is in that (and I'll guess we'll never know!).

[windebieste]

I think Scott was onboard and was going to produce it.  God knows what must've happened for him to change his mind. 

I think at some point he said it was Fox decision to ditch the project.

-Windebieste.

[SM]

I dunno about that - I mean, sure, it's possible, but maybe its a "confusion" issue.

Like in Supergirl - one season they didn't have Superman in it cos BvS was out and WB didn't want to confuse audiences with which Superman was which (entirely contradictory that they have Flash, but it really makes no sense to me that they think people are really that stupid).

In this case, we've got the Prequels and then Alien5 - maybe they felt it was too much of the same thing going on and people "wouldn't understand").

Also, it's often said that Ridley Scott scuppered the project - I don't know how much truth there is in that (and I'll guess we'll never know!).

I've heard that Blomkamp likes to write and direct his own stuff and is quite protective of that, and Fox wasn't keen on him writing it on his own.

Don't know how true that is.

[Russ]

Kind of rings true, SM.

Neil: I want to write and direct.
Ridley: No, you can write it, I'll direct it.
Neil: No, you can produce, I'll write and direct.
Ridley: No, you write, I'll direct.
Neil: I can't work under those conditions.
Fox: You're fired, Neil.

[Xenomorphine]

Sure, but that's kind of missing the point - it seemed like NB wanted to do a Quantum Leap and "set right what once went wrong" in terms of the treatment of Hicks and Newt in Alien3 and provide a more satisfying end to the trilogy than was served up in Alien3.

I think actually that NB's idea started out as having nothing to do with the established characters, it was only after he got talking to Signourney Weaver on the Chappie project and she expressed an interest in doing the movie when he wrote them into the story.

That's precisely what happened, according to him: It took place after 'Alien 3' and was Ripley-less. It was Weaver who liked it and introduced the revision to make it take account of Ripley (although, to this day, we still don't know how).

It wouldn't surprise me if Fox was very interested in Blomkamp's movie. Then they heard Weaver wanted it.

They already knew that when they initially authorised it. If memory serves right, her involvement was one of the chief reasons which convinced them to buy it.

I've heard that Blomkamp likes to write and direct his own stuff and is quite protective of that, and Fox wasn't keen on him writing it on his own.

Don't know how true that is.

Think some of the last interviews mentioned his wife was teaming up on the writing of it.

[[cancerblack]]

I dunno about that - I mean, sure, it's possible, but maybe its a "confusion" issue.

Like in Supergirl - one season they didn't have Superman in it cos BvS was out and WB didn't want to confuse audiences with which Superman was which (entirely contradictory that they have Flash, but it really makes no sense to me that they think people are really that stupid).

In this case, we've got the Prequels and then Alien5 - maybe they felt it was too much of the same thing going on and people "wouldn't understand").

Also, it's often said that Ridley Scott scuppered the project - I don't know how much truth there is in that (and I'll guess we'll never know!).

I've heard that Blomkamp likes to write and direct his own stuff and is quite protective of that, and Fox wasn't keen on him writing it on his own.

Don't know how true that is.

Genuinely can't blame them there. He's got a great visual flair and can do pacing, but his original ideas are largely poo. Ridley-Lite/Pulp, in that regard.