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After nearly three months of shooting, Sir Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant has officially wrapped! Last Saturday the crew celebrated with their wrap party and have started to move on to other ventures. You can find pictures from the wrap party and the crew showing of their Covenant clothing in our forums.

Alien: Covenant set decorator Lacey Malice took to Instagram yesterday to show off her crew jacket and left a lovely caption talking about her time on the film: “It’s a wrap!!! I never would have guessed this time last year as I was having the time of my life in Switzerland at the HR Giger museum I would return home to paint the exact sets that he envisioned so long ago!, it has been an amazing experience, I’ve learnt so much and made some very talented new friends.”

Some of the art crew are remaining on the film to help with design work in post-production. Now it’s up to effect companies such as Animal Logic and MPC to provide the special effects for Alien: Covenant.

They made it through filming with very few leaks. Alien vs. Predator Galaxy were the first to reveal any sight of the film to the world with the location pictures from Milford Sound and the Daily Mail showed off some interesting pictures from the quarry location outside of Sydney.

With just over a year left before release, we now wait while post-production work begins on Alien: Covenant and the marketing campaign starts to kick in. Stick with Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest!

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Off-topic, but how long did it take to film the quadrilogy Alien films?

Woot Woot !!!! You're the best Ridley !

Quote from: Xenomania on Jul 15, 2016, 09:59:16 AM
Off-topic, but how long did it take to film the quadrilogy Alien films?

I don't know off-hand but Wikipedia has Alien as taking about 3 and a half months, Aliens 10 months, Alien Resurrection 5, Prometheus about 3. No Alien 3 details.

Valaquen may know better.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 15, 2016, 10:11:19 AMI don't know off-hand but Wikipedia has Alien as taking about 3 and a half months, Aliens 10 months, Alien Resurrection 5, Prometheus about 3. No Alien 3 details.

Valaquen may know better.

Ok, I was just wondering since I've never thought about it before, and was wondering is three months a short time or not. ;)

Now come the reshoots lol

When do you think we will see a trailer or some footage? How long before the release of the film was the first Prometheus trailer? Seven months or so?

The first footage of Prometheus was shown at SDCC about a year before the film's release. I know Fox aren't going to be there to show off their films for fear of leaking but I suspect/hope that they may actually release something online during SDCC this year (next weekend).

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 15, 2016, 11:20:00 AM
The first footage of Prometheus was shown at SDCC about a year before the film's release. I know Fox aren't going to be there to show off their films for fear of leaking but I suspect/hope that they may actually release something online during SDCC this year (next weekend).

Thanks Hicks, yeah that would be cool if they did.

I like the sound of this also
I never would have guessed this time last year as I was having the time of my life in Switzerland at the HR Giger museum I would return home to paint the exact sets that he envisioned so long ago!,

Nice one!

I think they were still filming at the time they showed Prometheus off. In Iceland, if memory serves. Sounds like Covenant will be having a longer post period.

Quote from: Look into my eye on Jul 15, 2016, 11:23:03 AM
I like the sound of this also
I never would have guessed this time last year as I was having the time of my life in Switzerland at the HR Giger museum I would return home to paint the exact sets that he envisioned so long ago!,

Yeah, I really like that quote too. I really can't wait to see something of the Giger-style sets!

Yeah the whole "exact sets" quote was very good to read! Hopefully it will flow/edit very well and will be on schedule for it's target release date.

As for the Alien3 filming time, I imagine it felt like it took forever. :P

How is it we don't have any leaked shots of the xenos?

I'm dying to see what they look like.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 15, 2016, 10:11:19 AM

Quote from: Xenomania on Jul 15, 2016, 09:59:16 AM
Off-topic, but how long did it take to film the quadrilogy Alien films?

I don't know off-hand but Wikipedia has Alien as taking about 3 and a half months, Aliens 10 months, Alien Resurrection 5, Prometheus about 3. No Alien 3 details.

Valaquen may know better.

Off the top of my head: Alien shot from July '78 and wrapped in winter, err, October? But model shooting went on for months afterwards. I don't think Aliens took 10 months to shoot at all. 3 months is the norm, for a typical two hour picture.

Quote from: Sabres21768 on Jul 15, 2016, 01:47:06 PM
How is it we don't have any leaked shots of the xenos?

I'm dying to see what they look like.

I don't think we had any leaked footage of Prometheus' creatures. Well, unless you count the trailer we got our hands on early but that was a trailer.  :laugh: I wouldn't expect to see any until the official marketing start. If any. I feel like they might want to keep the Alien hidden this time around.

---

Quote from: Valaquen on Jul 15, 2016, 01:53:04 PM
I don't think Aliens took 10 months to shoot at all. 3 months is the norm, for a typical two hour picture.

Yeah, I thought that was odd. But that's why you never trust Wikipedia.  :laugh:

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 15, 2016, 01:55:13 PM

Quote from: Sabres21768 on Jul 15, 2016, 01:47:06 PM
How is it we don't have any leaked shots of the xenos?

I'm dying to see what they look like.

I don't think we had any leaked footage of Prometheus' creatures. Well, unless you count the trailer we got our hands on early but that was a trailer.  :laugh: I wouldn't expect to see any until the official marketing start. If any. I feel like they might want to keep the Alien hidden this time around.

let's hope so

*Fixed your quotes. Corporal Hicks.

I've slated Prometheus time and time again.  Watched it again after about six months since the last viewing and I actually enjoyed it more.  It's not the horrible movie I thought it was.  It's not great, it has a lot of problems, but it's okay.  Everything I've seen so far for Covenant has got me excited, and I love that Weyland Yutani logo

I have pretty much avoided any info on this film so far, so it's going to be fun charting into the unknown once it hits cinemas.

Can't wait to see some footage though. :)

Quote from: Valaquen on Jul 15, 2016, 01:53:04 PM
Off the top of my head: Alien shot from July '78 and wrapped in winter, err, October? But model shooting went on for months afterwards. I don't think Aliens took 10 months to shoot at all. 3 months is the norm, for a typical two hour picture.

Agreed, while Aliens certainly wasn't a smooth ride, a 10 month shoot would have put them way over budget. That 10 month figure probably includes pre-production and the visual effects work afterwards.

60 to 90 days is the norm for bigger movies these days.

I, for one, am really looking forward to this movie. I'm a big Prometheus fan, equal to Alien/Aliens. I can't wait to find out how this will expand and connect those movies even more.

Odd that it took 3 months, a movie (not even the size of this) usually takes 5, right?  Hope this won't be a CG fest.

Ridley is particularly meticulous these days and has it all planned out quite well. I wouldn't be too worried about it being 3 months. Prometheus was apparently filmed in 3 months (I honestly can't remember and am never too trusting of Wikipedia).

Quote from: me on Jul 15, 2016, 07:51:17 PM
Odd that it took 3 months, a movie (not even the size of this) usually takes 5, right?  Hope this won't be a CG fest.

As Thomas H. said above, 3 months on principal photography is normal for a movie of this size.

There are of course always exceptions, Mad Max: Fury Road for example took over 4 months and then they still did a ton of re-shoots afterwards.

Hey folks. Made a commentary regarding some of the articles over the last couple months that I found the most interesting! Take a look and let me know what you think!

After months of filming they have a lengthy post production, editing, adding cgi, adr, orchestrating the soundtrack, etc, the the marketing, teasers, trailers, promos to build up hype amoung the causal movie goers, all for a release in August of next year, possibly sooner or later domestically. The success of this film at the box office dictates whether they'll be any sequels completing a trilogy and linking to the events of the original Alien. Blomkamp and Sigourney will be busy with Gone World and the Avatar sequels so who know if they ever get to make their alternative Alien 3.

Extremely unlikely Covenant will bomb.  No Alien film has ever bombed at the box office.

Even 'AvP-R' - critically considered to be the worst in the series - with its budget of $70m took over $170m.  Hardly a poor return on it's investment for Fox.  That also doesn't take into account DVD sales, NECA figures and any other merch, either. 

All 'ALIEN' movies have been a success for Fox.  You might want to consider critical success a different metric in itself but even if 'ALIEN: Covenant' is so bad it manages to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs through a straw, there's a good chance the follow up movie will go into production. 

You can bet Day One ticket sales alone are going to be strong on this item.

-Windebieste.

AvP took 170 on a 50-60 budget (making it the highest-grossing of all of the movies at the time, not adjusted for inflation), AvPR took 120 on a 40-50 budget.

Oh, yeah. Sorry.  Got the movies I really care the most about mixed up*.  Won't happen again.  I promise.  :)

-Windebieste.

*lol.

Well, this will be the most money Fox has ever spent on an Alien movie, even more expensive than Prometheus. But I'm certain it'll still make its money back, as the trailers will show it off as the spectacle it is, and plastering "From the director of Alien and The Martian" everywhere.

"In space, no one can hear Fox executives having a money fight."
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fslideshows%2Fimages%2Fslides%2F270%2F432%2F5%2FS2704325%2Foriginal.gif%3Fv%3D1&hash=b362462bffdf08cd6cf5c6e959b8e43c63864fbe)

:laugh:

Unless Covenant sucks the big one, I predict that it will be at least a little more successful than Prometheus, which did well even without the Alien moniker explicitly added to it.

Quote from: windebieste on Jul 16, 2016, 12:10:14 AM
Oh, yeah. Sorry.  Got the movies I really care the most about mixed up*.  Won't happen again.  I promise.  :)

-Windebieste.

*lol.

It kind'a goes against what you're saying, though -- AVPR wasn't terribly successful. It barely made a profit after marketing and such.

Certainly... and Fox can't afford another failing of that magnitude. 

'Prometheus' had a few clumsy steps but at least it was heading in the right direction.  I'm hoping Scott has gained his footing with 'ALIEN: Covenant.

-Windebieste.

I too rewatched Prometheus not so long ago. True - its not terrible, but not counting avp, Prometheus is the least re-watchable and I kind of felt like I was only sticking through the movie for the Hammerpede and the Medpod scene - then I kind of tuned out again. The engineers are actually annoying in Prometheus, whereas in Alien, their allusion was fascinating. There I've said it - Engineers don't float my boat anymore...

Even the drab looking Alien 3 had more moments I'd want to re-watch from a storyline perspective.

While everything sounds promising for Alien Covenant - Giger inspiration, more creatures, good budget and decent shooting time, I just hope the script delivers. In the early days, the script (and even the title of the film) has had so many reincarnations (like many movies these days). I just hope the script is gripping, the acting is of Charles Dance/Sigourney Weaver/Ian Holm/Lance Henriksen/Glenn Close calibre, and this becomes a movie that I will want to rewatch time and time again in years to come.

Ever the eternal pessimist, I know, but somebody has to be...

Hey, now. Prometheus is more re-watchable than Resurrection, at the very least.

Scripts and filming, as Alien demonstrated, 40 years ago, is an organic process. Like evolution, though, the results aren't always superior. It's all random, essentially.

There were massive on set rewrites for Covenant, as one could ascertain. But I heard the original Paradise Lost script, pre-Logan, was great.

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Jul 16, 2016, 01:13:25 AM
Well, this will be the most money Fox has ever spent on an Alien movie, even more expensive than Prometheus. But I'm certain it'll still make its money back, as the trailers will show it off as the spectacle it is, and plastering "From the director of Alien and The Martian" everywhere.

I don't think we've seen any budget info yet. Is this something your insider has told you?

---

Just confirmed who is remaining from the art department to help with VFX. Wayne Haag and Steve Burg (who has done all the ship design).

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 16, 2016, 12:53:36 PM

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Jul 16, 2016, 01:13:25 AM
Well, this will be the most money Fox has ever spent on an Alien movie, even more expensive than Prometheus. But I'm certain it'll still make its money back, as the trailers will show it off as the spectacle it is, and plastering "From the director of Alien and The Martian" everywhere.

I don't think we've seen any budget info yet. Is this something your insider has told you?

Yeah, there's been rumours of a $150 million budget but nothing official has been released yet.

Put it this way - its got to be a bigger budget than Prometheus. besides, Fassbender isn't getting cheaper as an Actor, even though they may well save on payroll without Charlize Theron.

QuoteBut I heard the original Paradise Lost script, pre-Logan, was great.

Sorry if it's off topic but what do you think the chances are of some script drafts being made available after release?

Also, since we got Peter Briggs' unproduced AVP script, do you think we'll see Blomkamp's Alien 3.2 script eventually if it never happens as well?

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 16, 2016, 12:53:36 PM

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Jul 16, 2016, 01:13:25 AM
Well, this will be the most money Fox has ever spent on an Alien movie, even more expensive than Prometheus. But I'm certain it'll still make its money back, as the trailers will show it off as the spectacle it is, and plastering "From the director of Alien and The Martian" everywhere.

I don't think we've seen any budget info yet. Is this something your insider has told you?

---

Just confirmed who is remaining from the art department to help with VFX. Wayne Haag and Steve Burg (who has done all the ship design).

I've just heard the $150 million rumor; also a set visitor tweeted that it would be "bigger" than Prometheus. So I'm just deducing.

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Jul 16, 2016, 03:00:52 PM
Yeah, there's been rumours of a $150 million budget but nothing official has been released yet.

I must have missed that one. Can you remember where it came from?

Quote from: Denton Smalls on Jul 16, 2016, 04:14:57 PM
Sorry if it's off topic but what do you think the chances are of some script drafts being made available after release?

In my research to find out about that Palgen draft, I heard that the scripts are watermarked with who they were given to. Unless someone cares enough to write it up, I wouldn't expect to see any anytime soon.

Quote from: motherfather on Jul 16, 2016, 03:36:52 PM
Put it this way - its got to be a bigger budget than Prometheus. besides, Fassbender isn't getting cheaper as an Actor, even though they may well save on payroll without Charlize Theron.

I heard Fassbender billed the production company twice.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 16, 2016, 06:48:06 PM
I must have missed that one. Can you remember where it came from?

It was being bandied about on the Alien: Covenant IMDb boards (and we all know how strictly factual they are  :)) and maybe one or two other places. I was never able to track down the source though.

Well, if he plays two different characters... haha.

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Jul 16, 2016, 04:18:39 PM

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 16, 2016, 12:53:36 PM

Quote from: BishopShouldGo on Jul 16, 2016, 01:13:25 AM
Well, this will be the most money Fox has ever spent on an Alien movie, even more expensive than Prometheus. But I'm certain it'll still make its money back, as the trailers will show it off as the spectacle it is, and plastering "From the director of Alien and The Martian" everywhere.

I don't think we've seen any budget info yet. Is this something your insider has told you?

---

Just confirmed who is remaining from the art department to help with VFX. Wayne Haag and Steve Burg (who has done all the ship design).

I've just heard the $150 million rumor; also a set visitor tweeted that it would be "bigger" than Prometheus. So I'm just deducing.

Give "Fury Roads" "R" rating in the USA (and 150 million dollar budget) and the success of Deadpool, I could see Fox risking 150 million on a r-rated franchise that could be a steady source of income.  Yeah it won't be the next Force Awakens, but it could be a strong 350-450 million dollar franchise every few years before digital rights, merch, home media and all that bullshit.

Here's to hoping ALIEN is reinvigorated as a franchise and returns to its former glory then.  ;D

I'm hoping there weren't too many deviations between the Paradise and Covenant scripts. If the former was as good as I've heard, then the more changes there were, the more chances there was a change for the worse. And don't get me started on the chance of executive meddling (FOX) dumbing down the final script.

I really can not wait for this movie!! Was initially let down by Prometheus, until further viewings then my views changed and I started to appreciate the movie more when I came to understanding it more. I went in to the midnight showing in the wrong frame of mind and with the wrong expectations (even though they constantly warned us it would not be a straight up 'Alien' movie). So with covenant I feel I'll be going in now with a more open mind thanks to Prometheus. But still a little excited to see what Ridley is going to throw at us when it comes to aspects of the original movie e.g Facehuggers, chestbursters

Yah! New 'ALIEN' movie coming!   YAY!!1!.

Just wanted to let my thinly veiled excitement out.  Especially now that principal photography has finished.  I guess we just have to wait for the inevitable pick up shots that are always needed.  Stuff that editing can't fix.  Either way...

YAY!  ;D

-Windebieste.

I'm just hoping for the best. I'm keen for it but still cautious yet. I know we'll get a stellar movie under the right conditions, but I think there'll be some serious devastation if the movie's on par with or lower than the level set by Prometheus.

Quote from: windebieste on Jul 17, 2016, 11:24:30 PM
Yah! New 'ALIEN' movie coming!   YAY!!1!.

Just wanted to let my thinly veiled excitement out.  Especially now that principal photography has finished.  I guess we just have to wait for the inevitable pick up shots that are always needed.  Stuff that editing can't fix.  Either way...

YAY!  ;D

-Windebieste.

I mirror your sentiments. Yay!

Quote from: windebieste on Jul 17, 2016, 11:24:30 PM
I guess we just have to wait for the inevitable pick up shots that are always needed.  Stuff that editing can't fix.  Either way...

No doubt. I'll be curious to hear what needs reshooting.

Quote from: PsyKore on Jul 18, 2016, 12:16:12 AM
I'm just hoping for the best. I'm keen for it but still cautious yet. I know we'll get a stellar movie under the right conditions, but I think there'll be some serious devastation if the movie's on par with or lower than the level set by Prometheus.

I dread to think what it'll be like if Covenant ends up worse than Prometheus. I don't know how longer the series can keep taking subpar films.  :-\

Sub-par should be for AVP. Prometheus is more like par.

Disappointing then.

I think one thing is for sure with Alien: Covenant; Ridley is going to give us exactly what we're asking for. So if we're disappointed it's really our own damn fault. :P

What's really happening now.

Gotta catch 'em all!
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Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Jul 18, 2016, 07:30:59 AM
Disappointing then.

That works. :)

UPDATE WITH PHOTO!

https://twitter.com/AlienAnthology/status/755432036073140224

"Filming has wrapped. The next phase begins."

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnvVbY1WEAAx_UF.jpg)

Nice, Waterston reminds me a lot of Aliens Ripley.

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Jul 19, 2016, 04:16:02 PM
Nice, Waterston reminds me a lot of Aliens Ripley.

Yep! 8)

Literally, every Alien-related film has been plagued by some sort of Ripley wannabe.  Clearly a strong female lead is part of the essence of an Alien film.  We need a film that actually brings back the real Ripley such as Blomkamp's Alien.

It came up in the podcast we did the other day, but they should really kill Waterston off in this. The female survivor trope needs to be switched up for a change.

Anyone else seeing the gun slung around her chest?

It's not that the female lead role needs to be switched up.  It's that the Alien films need to stop being a self-parody.  If you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.  There's nothing like the real thing.  And then free the other films of the yoke of the strong female lead so they can explore a new originality.

I hope Waterston returns for sequels.  I'd rather see more of her than old Ripley or a grown up Newt.  From what I've heard, she's a well respected actress, even though I haven't seen any of her films.

She may just be the biggest surprise of Covenant.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PM
It's not that the female lead role needs to be switched up.  It's that the Alien films need to stop being a self-parody.  If you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.  There's nothing like the real thing.  And then free the other films of the yoke of the strong female lead so they can explore a new originality.

Shaw was nothing like Ripley. There was one blatant Ripley variation, and that was the woman from AvPR. You're gonna have a lead, the lead will either be male or female. A female just works so much better as the lead of a horror film.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PMIf you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.

The constant, slavish devotion to Ripley is the worst thing that's happened to the series lately. They could really benefit from moving on and doing something different.

I agree with HuDa,  I am all for strong female characters.  However, by making it a staple of the series they are diminishing the impact.  It would be like making all Predator movies with macho men fighting the predator in a jungle environment.

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 05:57:09 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PMIf you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.

The constant, slavish devotion to Ripley is the worst thing that's happened to the series lately. They could really benefit from moving on and doing something different.

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 05:57:09 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PMIf you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.

The constant, slavish devotion to Ripley is the worst thing that's happened to the series lately. They could really benefit from moving on and doing something different.

They tried with Prometheus and people still clamored for a more Ripley-esque character. I think Shaw, while being feminine, brought something different to the game than Ripley. I find her, personally, to have an interesting character arc and, in my honest opinion, rivals that of Ripley's in the first three films. I agree with you about how this Ripley worship does more harm than good to the series. Still, people in this fandom are stuck somewhere between the past and the future, with the former winning out which inevitably stops new ideas from fully realizing themselves. I contradict myself here because I feel that moderation is good and Covenant seems to be striking a balance between Prometheus and Alien.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 04:58:47 PM
Literally, every Alien-related film has been plagued by some sort of Ripley wannabe.  Clearly a strong female lead is part of the essence of an Alien film.  We need a film that actually brings back the real Ripley such as Blomkamp's Alien.

::)

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 05:57:09 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PMIf you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.

The constant, slavish devotion to Ripley is the worst thing that's happened to the series lately. They could really benefit from moving on and doing something different.

I am not proposing a slavish devotion to Ripley.  I am offering a counterpoint to the idea of having more knock-off female lead-roles.  By not using Ripley, we end up with these stories with strong female characters that all try to emulate Ripley in some way.  So to free us of this trope, let Ripley have her come-back film where she fulfills that female role, and let the other films be free of that trope once and for all.  As it stands, we will probably have another kick-ass female lead character in Covenant.  What for?  Give the fans the film they want, and move on with other films that are unshackled.

David is the lead in Covenant, right?

Quote from: Scorpio on Jul 19, 2016, 05:19:04 PM
I hope Waterston returns for sequels.  I'd rather see more of her than old Ripley or a grown up Newt.  From what I've heard, she's a well respected actress, even though I haven't seen any of her films.

She may just be the biggest surprise of Covenant.

Turns out I saw her in 'Manhattan Romance' a few weeks ago on Netflix without realizing who she was. She was fantastic. Highly recommended film, too. My enthusiasm for A:C just spiked in a major way.  ;D

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 07:22:34 PMI am not proposing a slavish devotion to Ripley.  I am offering a counterpoint to the idea of having more knock-off female lead-roles.  By not using Ripley, we end up with these stories with strong female characters that all try to emulate Ripley in some way.  So to free us of this trope, let Ripley have her come-back film where she fulfills that female role, and let the other films be free of that trope once and for all.

Or alternatively, they could do something actually original and cast a male lead. It would be a very welcome change at this point.

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 09:16:12 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 07:22:34 PMI am not proposing a slavish devotion to Ripley.  I am offering a counterpoint to the idea of having more knock-off female lead-roles.  By not using Ripley, we end up with these stories with strong female characters that all try to emulate Ripley in some way.  So to free us of this trope, let Ripley have her come-back film where she fulfills that female role, and let the other films be free of that trope once and for all.

Or alternatively, they could do something actually original and cast a male lead. It would be a very welcome change at this point.

They could totally cast a male lead.  What I'm seeing here is the opportunity to burn the candle at both ends.  The Prometheus angle of the story is branching off in one direction, and Blomkamp's film is tackling the story from the other end.  At this moment, it looks like the upcoming Alien films outweigh the Blomkamp film by 3 to 1.  The idea that there is an obsession with Ripley is unfounded.  Blomkamp is trying to make 1 film with her, which is said to give her an "end" anyway.

By making a sequel or a prequel to an Alien film, you will never do something 100% original.  The story will always be tied in somehow to what made the first 2 films so great.  If you want a truly original film, leave the Alien universe behind.  This is a derivative fiction by definition.

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 09:16:12 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 07:22:34 PMI am not proposing a slavish devotion to Ripley.  I am offering a counterpoint to the idea of having more knock-off female lead-roles.  By not using Ripley, we end up with these stories with strong female characters that all try to emulate Ripley in some way.  So to free us of this trope, let Ripley have her come-back film where she fulfills that female role, and let the other films be free of that trope once and for all.

Or alternatively, they could do something actually original and cast a male lead. It would be a very welcome change at this point.

That would be a really interesting thing to try out.

It's like Alien has female only leads and Predator has male only leads.  :laugh: Maybe both franchises can do a gender swap and let's see how it goes from there.

Because let's be real, it doesn't matter what chromosome configuration you've got, the Alien or Predator will overpower you regardless. The point of a lead is to show us humans using wits and tactics to overpower them.

So whether it's a skinny man/woman or an AHNULD/AHNETTE type character, it all boils down to smarts and environment and luck in the end.

Quote from: Mr. Clemens on Jul 19, 2016, 07:52:36 PM

Quote from: Scorpio on Jul 19, 2016, 05:19:04 PM
I hope Waterston returns for sequels.  I'd rather see more of her than old Ripley or a grown up Newt.  From what I've heard, she's a well respected actress, even though I haven't seen any of her films.

She may just be the biggest surprise of Covenant.

Turns out I saw her in 'Manhattan Romance' a few weeks ago on Netflix without realizing who she was. She was fantastic. Highly recommended film, too. My enthusiasm for A:C just spiked in a major way.  ;D

I saw her in QUEEN OF EARTH and that PYNCHON adaptation, I can't recall the name of for whatever reason. She is exceptional. Very good with subtlety.

Again, curious to see how this film will pan out. As fans, let's not put a schism between the Ripley lovers and haters. Everyone IS getting their wish... more Alien movies, with the premise of Blomkamp's Alien being a fitting end to Ripley's story while Ridley's films give us a lead up to Alien with (hopefully) memorable characters.

A strong female lead has been a staple of this series, even carried over to the AVP films. Don't expect much to change as of now, but do give the strong male support characters their due credit. Fassbender was great, love or hate Prometheus. Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henrikson, Charles Dance and Charles Dutton are all very admirable and memorable in their respective roles. Ron Perlman...

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 05:57:09 PM

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PMIf you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.

The constant, slavish devotion to Ripley is the worst thing that's happened to the series lately. They could really benefit from moving on and doing something different.

How did you like AVP, AVP-R and Prometheus? As of wrapping on this, COVENANT is the 4th entry in the franchise (or 2nd if you don't count AVP stuff, like I don't) without Ripley. People keep saying do something different without Ripley but it has yet to really work. Even Prometheus, which I like a lot more than most, struggles to find characters the audience invests in to the degree we invest in Ripley. I honestly never felt that connection to Hicks either. Maybe Newt just cause she clearly lived through some crazy shit (even more than Ripley really).

I could argue that there has yet to be a straight forward film Alien film without Ripley, but I'm not gonna lie, I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is they wrote themselves into corners. Frustrating corners for fans.
I think the solution is to wrte an overarching sequence for sequels that begin with some sort of continuation, and end of Ripley's story.
Her inclusion, at this point, unless Covenant is remarkably received, is the most reliable direction, sans A:R. And even the exception proves the rule there since she is one of the only good things about A:R.
I know people will say her inclusion in AR was ridiculous, and they'd be right, but try and imagine how terrible that film would be WITHOUT Ripley. Yikes.

Considering half of the movies with Ripley suck, her inclusion or exclusion is not the problem. Good director. Good script. That's all you need. And easier said than done.

Do AvP and AvPR truly count? They really don't. They suck too much to count. And Shaw differs so so much from Ripley. All they share is a gender. Different goals and personalities.

Noticing the debate about the idea of giving Alien a male protagonist and the possibility of having a female protagonist in the Predator series, well as long as it doesn't lead to the fiasco of the 2016 Ghostbusters  :-

There is no debate...the gender of the character doesn't matter. Story story story.

Exactly.  'ALIEN' was originally written for any of the 7 characters to be either gender.  Imagine what a headf*ck a female Ash would have added to the movie?

Story, story, story.  Good writing will bring good characters.   Cliched and tired character tropes avoided, all the better.

-Windebieste.

Quote from: Alien³ on Jul 19, 2016, 04:13:17 PM
UPDATE WITH PHOTO!

https://twitter.com/AlienAnthology/status/755432036073140224

"Filming has wrapped. The next phase begins."

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnvVbY1WEAAx_UF.jpg)

I wasn't far off in my prediction. I thought we'd see something the 18th, we get it the day later on the 19th.  :P

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Jul 19, 2016, 04:16:02 PM
Nice, Waterston reminds me a lot of Aliens Ripley.

Yeah, definitely getting some Ripley in Aliens vibe off that picture. I think it's the tank-top and weapon though.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 04:58:47 PM
Literally, every Alien-related film has been plagued by some sort of Ripley wannabe.  Clearly a strong female lead is part of the essence of an Alien film.  We need a film that actually brings back the real Ripley such as Blomkamp's Alien.

It's not just the films, it's the tie-ins too. The series is too bogged down in its connection to Ripley. There's a whole other universe out there. I really wish they'd stop trying to use Ripley or Ripley-alikes. It's about time we moved on from that. It's becoming a huge issue for the series.

Quote from: HuDaFuK on Jul 19, 2016, 05:11:52 PM
It came up in the podcast we did the other day, but they should really kill Waterston off in this. The female survivor trope needs to be switched up for a change.

I still hope this will be the case. Change things up! Though given it being a trilogy...I doubt it'll happen. :-\

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PM
It's not that the female lead role needs to be switched up.  It's that the Alien films need to stop being a self-parody.  If you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.  There's nothing like the real thing.  And then free the other films of the yoke of the strong female lead so they can explore a new originality.

We weren't talking necessarily making the lead a man but making it so the Ripley-alike isn't automatically the survivor. It's becoming far too predictable.

Quote from: CainsSon on Jul 20, 2016, 12:57:34 AM
How did you like AVP, AVP-R and Prometheus? As of wrapping on this, COVENANT is the 4th entry in the franchise (or 2nd if you don't count AVP stuff, like I don't) without Ripley. People keep saying do something different without Ripley but it has yet to really work.

All of which tried to have Ripley-likes. All 3 films attempted to go for strong female leads. It wasn't that they didn't work because they weren't Ripley, it's that they didn't work because they were poorly written/cast/performed. Weaver and Ripley's inclusion doesn't make it an autowin. We have Alien 3 and Resurrection to prove that. Now, don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy Alien 3 but it's not a good film. There's stuff in Resurrection I like but it's not a good film either.

Quote from: windebieste on Jul 20, 2016, 03:58:24 AM
Exactly.  'ALIEN' was originally written for any of the 7 characters to be either gender.  Imagine what a headf*ck a female Ash would have added to the movie?

Story, story, story.  Good writing will bring good characters.   Cliched and tired character tropes avoided, all the better.

And that wasn't even done for any deep meaning other than "they'd never see that coming!" I don't want to see it coming in Covenant or the other films! Give me a well written, well performed and well directed film, don't give me tropes.

CAN NOT WAIT!!!!! I personally loved Prometheus so I'm excited to see where this goes....

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Jul 19, 2016, 05:18:36 PM
It's not that the female lead role needs to be switched up.  It's that the Alien films need to stop being a self-parody.  If you want to have a strong female lead, bring back Ripley.  There's nothing like the real thing.  And then free the other films of the yoke of the strong female lead so they can explore a new originality.

We weren't talking necessarily making the lead a man but making it so the Ripley-alike isn't automatically the survivor. It's becoming far too predictable.

Quote from: CainsSon on Jul 20, 2016, 12:57:34 AM
How did you like AVP, AVP-R and Prometheus? As of wrapping on this, COVENANT is the 4th entry in the franchise (or 2nd if you don't count AVP stuff, like I don't) without Ripley. People keep saying do something different without Ripley but it has yet to really work.

All of which tried to have Ripley-likes. All 3 films attempted to go for strong female leads. It wasn't that they didn't work because they weren't Ripley, it's that they didn't work because they were poorly written/cast/performed. Weaver and Ripley's inclusion doesn't make it an autowin. We have Alien 3 and Resurrection to prove that. Now, don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy Alien 3 but it's not a good film. There's stuff in Resurrection I like but it's not a good film either.

Quote from: windebieste on Jul 20, 2016, 03:58:24 AM
Exactly.  'ALIEN' was originally written for any of the 7 characters to be either gender.  Imagine what a headf*ck a female Ash would have added to the movie?

Story, story, story.  Good writing will bring good characters.   Cliched and tired character tropes avoided, all the better.

And that wasn't even done for any deep meaning other than "they'd never see that coming!" I don't want to see it coming in Covenant or the other films! Give me a well written, well performed and well directed film, don't give me tropes.
[/quote]

My point is that Ripley is reliable. She sells tickets. Her return sells tickets and it pleases fans. Of course ANYTHING with ALIEN in the title sells tickets and while I like Prometheus and am excited about Covenant, I would take a Ripley led film, on par with ALIEN 3 over those films ANY DAY.  I do not think PROMETHEUS is as good as ALIEN 3, apart from maybe a technical, film-craft perspective. I find ALIEN 3's use of subtext, art direction, score, Sigourney's performance and Fincher's direction to be the best in the franchise. Though I agree the script is a huge problem.
The point I am making is you already have films without Ripley. The AVP films - I don't count, but PROMETHEUS doesnt attempt to recreate Ripley in Shaw and people hate that film. Same goes for AVP 1. We already have films without Ripley and people don't like those either. 
How can we say, in the same breath, that Covenant and Prometheus don't excite you, but we dont want Blomkamp's film with Ripley because we prefer they move on without Ripley next. Thats a contradiction. They've moved on without her already.
If you have specific things you want to happen in the script, then just say, "I dont care about Ripley or Engineers, just give me more Colonial Marines and things blowing up." That's perfectly legit.
This was all in response to whether Blomkamp's Alien is worth getting excited for. And I don't think that the argument works to say move on without Ripley. We already did. Covenant is the 2nd film, at least, without her. Imagine A:R without her. That would be 600x worse than it is now. I stand by my statement that Ripley is the only interesting thing in that film.

Ripley is reliable? The numbers disagree. Adjusted for inflation, each Alien film grossed less than the prior installment. Prometheus slots in third, & even AVP finishes ahead of Resurrection. That's not to say her return couldn't boost interest. Audiences love nostalgia! I disagree with Sigourney's sentiments however, that Ripley needs an ending. Alien 3 offered a perfect 1. No, it wasn't happy, but why does it have to be? I'm sure casual audiences would be willing to ignore it's existence though, but as well loved as Aliens was, or still is, I don't know how much interest they would have in a direct sequel 30-35 years later.

I liked Prometheus. It had it's flaws, but overall, I thought it was an ambitious film, & a good 1. I'm perfectly fine with FOX giving it's sequel priority over Alien 5. It has the chance to offer us something new, whereas I feel Blomkamp's film would run the risk of being a retread of Aliens. Ripley had her time, & I don't feel her character is essential to making a good Alien film. As mentioned by others, good story telling is.

Quote from: Spidey3121 on Jul 25, 2016, 01:27:44 PM
Adjusted for inflation, each Alien film grossed less than the prior installment.

That's true, and Alien 1979 didn't have any 'A-list' stars, it's major selling point being that it was a high concept, big budget sci-fi film in the wake of Star Wars.