Alien: Romulus Casts David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu

[Kimarhi]

We know lower budget films can be done well because we have examples in our own franchise.  So the dollar amount doesn't bother me personally.  I'd feel more comfortable knowing what kind of movie they were making though.  Alien or Aliens style.  Something different?

Smaller budget I'd feel less good about if it was supposed to be something like Aliens. 

[TomT]

It's not, and never was.

Always was, it's silly to even deny that, it wasn't a B movie, it was expensive film for its time and it actually cost almost twice more than Spielberg's ET which was released just few years before that. Aliens would cost well over 100 mln today, it's a fact, Sigourney would've gotten at least 5 mln, not 1. You can find many examples of what was considered a blockbuster around that time and just compare their budgets. Top Gun released the same year cost less than Aliens and now we have a direct sequel today which cost 170 mln to make, the difference in cost of making a movie is HUGE.

Again, not true.

Because?

Unless the production designer has access to airline scrap - it's still something productions do - and the director wanted guy in a suit.

There's nothing about Alien that's particularly expensive for a movie. Limited sets. Cgi planet and spaceship these days. It's not a huge production - $40m is entirely feasible.

I'm not interested in "these days" style of filmmaking, we were talking about equal quality production, not an inferior way to do it. So we are talking about actual sets of LV-426 planet surface (and green screen for far backgrounds), derelict, juggernaut interior with eggs and engineer pilot sets, Nostromo sets, space VFX, Alien VFX (practical in close shots and CGI in wider shots). We are seeing a lot less real sets because they are more expensive than ever. Life looks cheaper than Alien, just tight corridors, mostly closeups and some space shots. Unless you want to imply Reynolds robbed Sony for at least 20 mln, no way Alien would cost much cheaper if done right. Jake is not expensive kind of star and the rest of Life cast don't cost more than Alien cast today.

They definitely won't look as nice as their well lit headshots that are meant to show off their features. Lighting and camera work on set can make them look a lot older, or even set the right tone.

So again, why all this trouble with lighting and camera work if they didn't intend actors to look like teenagers? Because that was clearly the plan.

A lot here would be complaining about Sigourney being cast if ALIEN were made today.

Why? She actually looked her age.

[RIP77]

Fox is a digital plataform adult of Disney. Is sad for industry adult movies.

Very comercial movies in cinema PG13  or movies independent R  or  Oscars limited premiere too R.


IS complicated  than Alien return in cinema. Few movies  premiere in cinema of Fox in next years.

This does not happen because Covenant failed alone. It is also because of Disney's business model with Fox and him vision empresarial with movies very comercials. Movies  blockbusters adult R in cinema  next years...only Deadpool3( and is movie marvel no Fox).


In addition, Disney does not release commercial cinema R, which is why it demands much more at the box office so that they do not appear only on Hulu.

 Alien cannot compete with those box offices that Disney asks for to be released in cinemas.

It's not just that it's a small hit o moderate/good  like Prometheus with 400.  Disney wants to release MEGA hits and Alien has never been that. Deadpool 3 is exepcion.


Future Alien is  in streaming for very long long time. Better this than nothing.

[Immortan Jonesy]

We know lower budget films can be done well because we have examples in our own franchise.  So the dollar amount doesn't bother me personally.  I'd feel more comfortable knowing what kind of movie they were making though.  Alien or Aliens style.  Something different?

Smaller budget I'd feel less good about if it was supposed to be something like Aliens. 

I like Prometheus-like budgets, but it's true and genuinely good movie can be on a tighter budget.

One good thing about smaller budget productions though, is that they sometimes have more creative liberties to experiment with concepts that tend to get rejected if someone is making an expensive movie. But hey, that's what indie cinema is for hahaha😅

[SiL]

I'm not interested in "these days" style of filmmaking, we were talking about equal quality production, not an inferior way to do it.

So am I. If someone set the budget at $40m you could make something the quality of Alien. Modern effects would make many things substantially more affordable than they were in '78 when the film was made. And it would be achieved precisely the same way -- careful planning and prioritising of expenses.

Life looks cheaper than Alien

It really doesn't. Kelvin never turns into a stuntman awkwardly bouncing on a wire. Nor is he ever a plate of oyster parts. There's no character turning into a plastic mannequin "fighting" an actor that is clearly just miming. Alien is my favourite movie, but you can see how they stretched the budget.

[BlueMarsalis79]

I can not think of a modern example of a film made like Alien recently honestly.

[TomT]

Life looks cheaper than Alien

It really doesn't. Kelvin never turns into a stuntman awkwardly bouncing on a wire. Nor is he ever a plate of oyster parts. There's no character turning into a plastic mannequin "fighting" an actor that is clearly just miming. Alien is my favourite movie, but you can see how they stretched the budget.

Alien was released in 1979, those moments are more of limitations of its time than budget limitations, wider shots would've used VFX creature today, even in Ressurection they already did that. Alien has more locations, bigger sets and bigger scale in general than Life, so again, why Life can cost 58 mln minus a couple of millions for 2 famous actors and Alien if done in quality way would cost just 40 mln? Makes no sense to me.

[SiL]

I can not think of a modern example of a film made like Alien recently honestly.

In what way?

Special effects are obviously done much differently. Resourceful set building is abundant. Rubber suit monsters are also not rare.

What you're missing is the art direction for the most part, and that was one of a kind.

Edit:

Come to think of it Andor got a lot of flack from nerds about the use of easily identifiable every day items as props.

[Wweyland]

Alien: LV42690210.
Not against the Alien: Echo vibes.

[reecebomb]

I can not think of a modern example of a film made like Alien recently honestly.

True, it's a tragedy.

So am I. If someone set the budget at $40m you could make something the quality of Alien. Modern effects would make many things substantially more affordable than they were in '78 when the film was made. And it would be achieved precisely the same way -- careful planning and prioritising of expenses.

Yes and no, top of the line quality cgi is still super expensive. And practical sets/suits etc are surely more expensive than they were back in the day. Film to be in the same caliber as Alien requires a combination of the very best practical and computer generated effects technically (and creatively) possible.

But also true that the people responsible for Alien 1979 used many clever tricks to stay within the budget.

[SiL]

Yes and no.

You can achieve very good CGI without the expected price tags a few ways. Shopping around for the right vendor is one, but having a clear plan of exactly what you want and not asking for endless revisions because you can't make up your mind is another.

Also for what it's worth, Alien has very few shots that would require CGI compared to modern movies.

Alien didn't have the very best practical effects. Giger complains about it in his diary. But they were used very well.

I guess the question is, are we making Alien as it exists today, or are we starting from the ground up?

If the latter the whole conversation is pointless because it could be any budget.

If the former, you could make the film for $40m.

[BIOROBOT]

Good grief. Can we STOP with the TIRED whining about "woke" this and "woke" that? It's just moronic! The original 2 alien movies would be called woke if they came out today by these squealing brats. Both Alien and Aliens carry a heavy HEAVY anti corporate strong female through line. If those 2 movies had come out in the last 6 years you'd be seeing the same "woke" talking points being made about them. As far as Romulous is concerned all we have seen of this cast are names and generic head shots, that's it, but apparently that's enough to get man babies screaming WOKE. Things change or they die, point blank. Society changes or it collapses, point blank. GET OVER IT.

This movie could be great, it could be terrible, who knows but getting bent out of shape due to the age, color, or whatever else of the cast is THE MOST overly sensitive precious first world "problem" you could dream up. If you see the depiction of females, gays, and people of color in movies as a massive "woke" slight against you then lock yourself in your house with all the movies and media you THINK arent "woke" and never come out again because you REALLY won't be able to handle the real world.

[TomT]

I haven't seen a single person complaining about "wokeness" here, maybe I didn't read the entire thread, but odd comment.

[Mike’s Monsters]

Many have came here to complain that the young cast means the film will be "woke". It's not new. Same annoying thing happened with Prey, and probably will for a long time until we can get over this trend of hating everything before we it. Rage is all the rage these days.

[[cancerblack]]

Many have came here to complain that the young cast means the film will be "woke". It's not new. Same annoying thing happened with Prey, and probably will for a long time until we can get over this trend of hating everything before we it. Rage is all the rage these days.

Giving things a chance would mean backing off from the whole "I've seen the matrix code, I'm smarter than all you sheep" thing that defines their existence.