I was given the opportunity to see two different cuts of ALIEN: COVENANT in October and December of last year. The film had been testing for a private audience at a small screening room on the Fox lot with director Ridley Scott in attendance. After seeing the final theatrical cut yesterday evening I wanted to share some details about the differences between the versions that were tested.
During the opening scene where David is playing the piano for Peter Weyland, there was additional dialogue that felt as if it was intended to answer one of the most vital questions from PROMETHEUS. Why did our creators turn on us? When Weyland says that the song David is playing sounds a little anemic without the orchestra, David responds by telling him that he is playing the refrain, the part of the symphony where the Gods have chosen to punish their creations for their vanity and greed, only for the Gods themselves to eventually become just as vain and greedy.
The scene where the suited up crew is recovering bodies from the aftermath of the Neutrino burst is new. We never saw Branson's charred corpse in either cut as well.
When David rescues the crew from the Neomorphs he says a line that sounds similar to a quote from another classic sci-fi film. He says, "Come with me.. if you want to stay alive."
In the Citadel, Walter warns Oram that David hasn't received proper maintenance in ten years. Oram then asks what are the effects of a synthetic that has not had such maintenance, to which Walter replies, "I think we're about to find out."
The Neomorph confronting and killing Rosenthal was slightly extended. It was originally shown to us with practical effects. It was a thin stunt actor in a suit with an animatronic head sporting Nosferatu-like fangs from its mouth. The creature rises up behind her slowly like the Xenomorph cornering Lambert in the first ALIEN, then she turns and defiantly swears at the creature before going for her weapon. Her death is the same in the final cut (powerful neck bite leading to decapitation).
The online prologue entitled "The Crossing" was originally part of the film. It was the only footage of Shaw that we see other then her recorded hologram on the Engineer's ship (which gets replaced with ghostly static in the final cut). The scene was placed in between the conversation that David has with Walter at Shaw's grave.
Oram's chestbursting scene was slightly altered. In both rough cuts, Ridley had the creature bursting out with the back of its head. This may have been intentional but it clearly looked like a penis and had some audience members in giggle fits. As the creature pushed its way out of his chest the phallic looking head tilted back to reveal the tiny Alien face. Then all was well with the audience as they understood what they were looking at.
David's battle with Walter originally telegraphed the twist too soon and it sadly remains the same in the final cut. The second version that was screened didn't show David reaching for a knife and ended with Walter bringing down the rock before cutting away. The next time we see Walter he is running away from the the Citadel towards the landing platform, no last lingering look back to tip us off. It made the reveal of his identity much more of a surprise.
Ever wonder what happened to the OTHER Neomorph that went scurrying off into the darkness? Well he actually shows up in a short action scene that was only screened in the first cut. It is near the end of the film when Daniels and Lope are outside the Citadel awaiting rescue. They see Tennessee bringing down the landing platform but the second Neomorph makes a surprise appearance and begins charging at them. At that same time the Xenomorph steps out of the Citadel and sees the two in the distance and immediately gives chase from the opposite end. Daniels and Lope begin running for the landing platform, back to back, and firing in opposite directions at both Aliens. If I recall correctly we see the Xenomorph effortlessly dodging bullets mid-stride while Daniels is able to take down the Neomorph with her rifle.
The deaths of Ricks and Upworth during the infamous shower scene were far more graphic. When the Xenomorph punches its jaw through Jussie Smollet's mouth, we also see it retract, focusing on the victim's ruined head for a few seconds. It's a nasty practical effect with his jaw barely holding together. Then we see a full body shot of the Alien crashing through the glass of the shower partition in slow motion, about to land on top of Upworth, who is seen nude and screaming.
The ending was also slightly different with each screening. Both of the early cuts did not have Daniels figuring out Walter's identity before succumbing to cryosleep. That actually played better in the final cut. The first version had Walter put Daniels in cryo peacefully before revealing himself to the audience when responding to MU-TH-UR in his British accent. He also pulls out the refrigerated samples and we see that he has already replaced several of them with both Facehugger and tiny Xenomorph embryos. The second cut reveals his identity to the audience in much the same way, only we see David cough up the embryos and place them in the storage drawer. Both early cuts showed him walking down the corridor while "Entry of the Gods into Valhalla" plays over the scene, then doing a little jump where he playfully kicks his heels together. There was no final report from "Walter," just the last image of the Covenant floating off into space.
That's about all I can remember for right now. I think the finished version is the superior one and I quite enjoyed it, but I did have some strong issues with David being the creator of the Alien. Having had several months to let that digest made it a little easier to accept it and enjoy the film for what it was.
ADDED:After seeing the film again tonight my wife remembered some dialogue from the earliest screening between Daniels and Walter. I believe this might have been during the scene where he accompanies her to check the Terraforming bay. She mentions something to Walter about the two of them now having something in common. He asks her to clarify and she responds by telling him that the crew is made up of couples and having lost her husband makes her the only one who will continue the mission alone. There's a kinship she now shares with Walter who is also alone on this journey. It was a good character moment that helped establish her bond with Walter early on.
