...I'm trying to comprehend why anyone would want this movie instead of Ridley's Alien trilogy.
I as well.
Same here.
I'm not bothered by this news at all, maybe it's a good thing because they might finally change things for Alien 5 and add more original characters. Alien shouldn't be shackled to RIpley, Newt or Hicks. It's a huge universe with so much more potential than that.
So I am much more excited for Covenant and the new characters and storyline it will introduce. Prometheus already was a sort of renaissance for this franchise. It has added so much for me to enjoy and I cannot wait to see what Covenant will expand upon.
While I am very cautiously optimistic on Covenant, and I mean CAUTIOUSLY, I am more optimistic of Blomkamp's vision and here's why. Alien 3, for all its faults, I thoroughly enjoyed but always hated that they killed off Hicks and Newt. They were, in the comics, the continuation of the story. No Ripley.....not until the final act of that arc. Other stories following that were also successful and did not contain Ripley.
While I 100% agree with you, that the Alien franchise has near-limitless potential and doesn't need to be labored by the yoke of Ripley, I would respectfully disagree with you, as I did not find Prometheus to be what I was personally expecting and now Covenant will be Fox's parallel response to AVP with AVPR. Covenant will be so dark, so sinister, so graphic and in-your-face than Prometheus, we will forget we're watching an Alien movie and that is what I am fearful we will get.
For those that want that, fine. I respect that. But all I ask for in return is the same respect to those who will not be satisfied with this film.
Thanks for sharing your view on this, PRJ, you do have some valid concerns.
Even though I am not keen on Alien 5, as a fan I will still go see it. Ripley, Newt and Hicks won't make me not enjoy a film with our favourite monsters fighting our favourite space marines again (I wanted to see another Colonial Marine movie for a long time since I've seen Aliens). I just don't like the idea of them having to always use Ripley in everything. Alien is pseudo-realistic as opposed to a space opera such as Star Wars. I feel that there are so many fresh faces that can be facehugged, you know?

Ripley encountering them too many times can be less coincidental and more "here we go again..."
In Alien it made sense due to a chance encounter, in Aliens it also made sense due to her going back to the same place, in Alien 3 it made sense due to an accident involving these critters, and in Resurrection it made sense due to them cloning the things. I wonder what would motivate Ripley in the new film?
Some people have raised interesting views on how to enjoy Alien 5 and still see Alien 3 and Resurrection as relevant.
Someone suggested an idea of seeing Alien 5 as a sort of "flash before her eyes" of what could've been while Ripley is falling into the furnace. It holds a similar parallel to the "it was all a dream" some fans have suggested for Alien 3 and Resurrection.