Alien 5 to be "Genetic Sibling" to Alien & Aliens

[DoomRulz]

Why? Because a small majority of fan boys are angry that a bad film and an even worse film are being ignored?

[CainsSon]

Fact is, the general audience gives about zero shits about this whole ordeal. Most don't even remember there were films after Aliens; and those that do do not remember them fondly. This decision is only pissing off some long time fans -- a small portion of the overall target audience.

Im not sure I agree with this,.. First, I will say again, I don't understand why it is necessary. And secondly, if the whole idea is to attract new fans and please the old, this will do neither.

Imagine what this will do to further boxed sets and interviews and to new fans who start watching the series from the beginning. It will be like, ok it ends w/ Alien 3 but then they made this A:R spin off and there's a cliffhanger that was never wrapped up, so then 20 years later they came back and retconned the third film so they could restart where they liked things? Why was that necessary?

I will say this again, every attempt to make the series more like what it was before, specifically in Aliens has been a step in the wrong direction and has arguably been what ruined everything after Alien 3. Take all the Aliens-ish stuff out of A:R and you have left all of the redeeming things in that script.

So here are the real questions I need to hear answered to take this in stride:

1. Why does it have to take place after Aliens and ignore 3 and 4?

2. Why can't it remain the spiritual successor to Aliens and still be a sequel to A:R (Just because people don't like it, is a lazy reason). It doesn't change that continuing on, it can still be a sequel.

3. Why can't it 'categorically' not feature what Ripley 8 was while still remaining a sequel to A:R? Why can't they just ignore A:R MOSTLY, but explain something away, in a way that doesn't detract from two other entires in the series?

I just have not heard a good reason and so I think we will end up with a bad film.

This is the same mistake all those PLATINUM DUNES remakes make. Its not that they are remakes, its that they attempt to reestablish the series, for instance FRIDAY THE 13th, to a place that it reached in stride after several sequels. And to do so it hamfists all this extra stuff to bring the film to where it once was, instead of letting its growth happen and it just feels forced.

[TimmyTurnersDad]

I dare say that the only man who hates Alien 3 more than my dad is David Fincher himself.

Alien 3...

Exactly.

Then you are part of something much bigger that yourself and you should respect everything that's come before,

He is, hence why it's a sequel of sorts to the two best films in the series.

A spiritual sequel is one thing.  A fanboyish wank fest where a director ignores one-half of an entire franchise so he can play with real-life Ripley and Hicks action figures is something very different and very wrong.

I'm rather amused at how so many people are assuming this is just going to be a fanboy wank fest. It could be, but I actually think a new sequel to Aliens could make for a great storyline.

[Liberator]

Fact is, the general audience gives about zero shits about this whole ordeal. Most don't even remember there were films after Aliens; and those that do do not remember them fondly. This decision is only pissing off some long time fans -- a small portion of the overall target audience.

Exactly. My dad is a huge fan of the series, and has been for years, even though he doesn't go on forums or chat about it. This is the most excited I've seen him react to news for an Alien movie in years. I dare say that the only man who hates Alien 3 more than my dad is David Fincher himself. I have heard stories about his reaction to seeing Alien 3 at the midnight premiere with my grandmother (his mother-in-law).

Personally? I'm more open-minded, though I do think that making this film a direct sequel to Aliens is the best route to go with. However part of why I'm really glad they're going in this route is for my dad. He got me into the series and I hate seeing him constantly get more and more disappointed with each new entry. I want to be able to go to the theaters in a few years from now and see the new Alien film with him and come out of it with him happy. Sentimental and/or biased on my part? Certainly.

Yes.  Alien 3 was beyond bad.  I can't think of a worse movie.

[Jman]

I think it is a good idea. I, personally, liked Alien3 and Resurrection, but, in my opinion, this new movie would give fans the sequel to Aliens that they always wanted and deserved. I am such a big fan of the Alien universe, any new film in the saga would be interesting to me, and Weaver is such a good actress, I'm sure it wouldn't disappoint many serious fans.

[OmegaZilla]

Exactly.

Im not sure I agree with this,.. First, I will say again, I don't understand why it is necessary. And secondly, if the whole idea is to attract new fans and please the old, this will do neither.

[...]

None of the things you said actually changes my point.

This will please a lot of old fans, though -- seeing as the 'Hix 'n Noot' thing was an ongoing resentment to begin with, a lot of people hate Alien 4, a lot don't care for 3. I'm among none of these categories, of course -- I love both of them.

[Valaquen]

Why? Because a small majority of fan boys are angry that a bad film and an even worse film are being ignored?

I know. Literal decades have been spent whining about those movies...

[SpreadEagleBeagle]

Retconning, unless done with the most absolute of care, is wrong and disrespectful.  It's one thing if you're just batting out fan fiction in your bedroom, but it's a whole 'nother thing if you are hired on as an official writer in an established universe.  Then you are part of something much bigger that yourself and you should respect everything that's come before, even if you don't like all of it.

This!

[predxeno]

OMG!!  I have wanted Alien 3 retconned for the LONGEST time, but I'm hesitant to jump to conclusions without concrete evidence so I'll hold back in jumping with joy.  I imagine EU-non-canoners could be happy too cause the majority of the EU will likely be irrelevant to this new timeline one way or another.

[Valaquen]

Retconning, unless done with the most absolute of care, is wrong and disrespectful.  It's one thing if you're just batting out fan fiction in your bedroom, but it's a whole 'nother thing if you are hired on as an official writer in an established universe.  Then you are part of something much bigger that yourself and you should respect everything that's come before, even if you don't like all of it.

This!

[Xenoscream]

I have mixed feelings about this, in some ways it's the best news ever, but then, well Alien 3.

Alien 3 for all its flaws brutally continued the story from Aliens, critically Ripley sacrificed herself. Any alternative Alien 3 will be in the shadow of this moment.

It would be easy to set a film after alien 3 without reconning resurrection, clearly Ripley is the only reason GT he's doing this. I don't get why fox think that Alien cannot exist without Ripley.

Oh and it had better not have engineers in it.

[Born Of Cold Light]

Why? Because a small majority of fan boys are angry that a bad film and an even worse film are being ignored?

It's still part of established canon and should be respected.  If directors won't respect canon, then there's no point in making movie series' at all beyond incredibly self-contained stories like Hunger Games.

[Rankles75]

Yes.  Alien 3 was beyond bad.  I can't think of a worse movie.

Well, there was The Last Airbender, but A3 certainly runs it close...

[Jman]

I feel that we Alien fans are very lucky that Weaver would even consider doing another film in the series, much less a true, fresh, and pleasing successor to Cameron's Aliens. I am very pleased to hear the news, and consider the new film to be a gift to us fans.

[DoomRulz]

They should throw in a Doctor Who cameo, that'll fix it.