Alien 5 confirmed by 20th Century Fox - Ripley's back.

[spence]

MORE disappointing than Episode 1??

Actually, yes, I do think it's more disappointing than Episode I. For better or worse, at least Phantom Menace has a plot that makes sense and clearly defined characters.

Though I think there are many, many more disappointing films than Episode I. Indy IV, for example, was a bigger let down for me.

And I have watched a couple of Prometheus fanedits that definitely improved the film by a huge amount.

 

[skyled]

Scott needs to stop wasting time with Prometheus 2 and make The Forever War already.

 

[TM2YC]

at least Phantom Menace has a plot that makes sense and clearly defined characters.

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

FWIW, I lean towards Spence's take on this too. We know the SW prequels are bad, but I do think that TPM was the least offensive and the most fixable of the 3. I think there is probably a better film embedded within The Phantom Menace than within Prometheus. Prometheus looked great from a visual standpoint, much better than TPM, but it was an incredibly dumb film.

 

[Gaith]

Prometheus looked great from a visual standpoint, much better than TPM, but it was an incredibly dumb film.

With respect, hombre, I don't entirely agree. That the characters act in dumb ways is undeniable, but thematically speaking, I choose to read a bit more into it than many, taking it as a biting satire on religion. I'm not sure any of that interpretation was intended, and I do have a bias in that I love satires of religion, but there it is. Also, Alien and Aliens are indubitably great films, made with brilliant craft, but apart from some satire on corporate viciousness, I don't find much depth in them.

And, I'll say this: I have a gut feeling I pretty much know what Blomkamp's Alien sequel will be like: a gritty, grimy, lived-in universe, Ripley and maybe Hicks killing xenos. Could be tons of fun, but will almost certainly be more of the same. Alien: Paradise Lost, however, I have no idea what it'll look like or be about. It could well look very little like Prometheus or any other movie in the series. And that's kinda cool, no?

 

[dangermouse]

Actually, yes, I do think it's more disappointing than Episode I. For better or worse, at least Phantom Menace has a plot that makes sense and clearly defined characters.

Though I think there are many, many more disappointing films than Episode I. Indy IV, for example, was a bigger let down for me.

And I have watched a couple of Prometheus fanedits that definitely improved the film by a huge amount.

Well, to each his own. I wasn't really that serious with my comment - it was just a cheap-ish joke. It's perfectly plausible to have Prometheus be the biggest let-down, particularly if you went in with "Alien"-level expectations. ouch.
Ep 1 was where I really learned not to ever get *that* excited about a movie. Expectations were way, way too high, the excitement level was beyond dumb, and the sinking realisation a few hours after the movie was over.... I have never overburdened films with too much excitement since then, and have often been pleasantly surprised rather than bitterly disappointed!

 

[ssj]

there's probably an awesomely fucked-up 15-min [MENTION=6674]blueyoda[/MENTION] short buried within prometheus.

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

With respect, hombre, I don't entirely agree. That the characters act in dumb ways is undeniable, but thematically speaking, I choose to read a bit more into it than many, taking it as a biting satire on religion. I'm not sure any of that interpretation was intended, and I do have a bias in that I love satires of religion, but there it is. Also, Alien and Aliens are indubitably great films, made with brilliant craft, but apart from some satire on corporate viciousness, I don't find much depth in them.

And, I'll say this: I have a gut feeling I pretty much know what Blomkamp's Alien sequel will be like: a gritty, grimy, lived-in universe, Ripley and maybe Hicks killing xenos. Could be tons of fun, but will almost certainly be more of the same. Alien: Paradise Lost, however, I have no idea what it'll look like or be about. It could well look very little like Prometheus or any other movie in the series. And that's kinda cool, no?

Thematically, maybe, and that is probably what Scott was shooting for, but unfortunately he stumbled through nonsensical plot points to try to get that theme across. This is probably just another case where we're going to have to disagree

I do agree that Alien and Aliens aren't films with a ton of depth or hidden themes - Alien was a horror film set in space, and Aliens was an action film set in space. They're both great examples of each, but neither is filled with hidden themes. They didn't really need to be - they both excelled in their simplicity

I think Blomkamp has the potential to not only make a gritty Alien sequel, but also fill it with some of the same themes that I think he has handled well to date (e.g., what does it mean to be human, and is that even a good thing?).

I'll probably see Prometheus 2 and Blomkamp's Alien film in the theater; my expectations will just be completely different for each of them.

 

[TV's Frink]

Not to re-fan the fire here, but I thought the Prometheus fanedits were pretty darn good. I mean not great, still weird things I can't figure out like how come there are so many different varieties of alien and even some that transform a person. Like they couldn't quite figure out where to go with it, or thought you needed a new type of alien each time to keep it interesting. But still, some interesting ideas, excellent visuals, some OK acting. I think I'm game for Prometheus 2, if done right, but certainly a lot of possibility for it to be like Highlander 2.

I agree.

 

[TMBTM]

Twitted by Neil Blomkamp 2 days ago, in case you missed it.

 

[beezo]

Twitted by Neil Blomkamp 2 days ago, in case you missed it.

Newt died at the beginning of Alien 3 in the crash.  I'd rather see Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn's characters resurrected.

 

[TMBTM]

Twitted by Neil Blomkamp 2 days ago, in case you missed it.

Newt died at the beginning of Alien 3 in the crash.  I'd rather see Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn's characters resurrected.

I don't think anyone will be "resurrected". 
It will either be a case of A3 and A4 never existed, this is basicaly a A3 bis. (I would not like that.)
Or Neil finds a way to make A3 and A4 being something that happened but not exactly the same as the audience thought it was. In this case I'm curious.

 

[addiesin]

One potential solution off the top of my head: 

Somebody from Weyland Yutani sends a team after 2 but before 3 to retrieve the survivors to try and study the alien, and they eventually return with a clone of Ripley and her memories up to that point installed in the clone so they can watch her like a rat in a maze, allowing 3 to happen but not as we thought. Meanwhile, real Ripley, Newt, and Hicks live the rest of their lives. Or something. 

My point is, as long as you have writers, you have a shovel to dig yourself out of almost any plot hole. They just have to be creative.

 

[SatansWaffles]

Somebody from Weyland Yutani sends a team after 2 but before 3 to retrieve the survivors to try and study the alien, and they eventually return with a clone of Ripley and her memories up to that point installed in the clone so they can watch her like a rat in a maze, allowing 3 to happen but not as we thought. Meanwhile, real Ripley, Newt, and Hicks live the rest of their lives. Or something. 

That is a pretty good solution. Though the clone part could cause some problems as Weaver is significantly older now. I guess they  could go the young-Arnold in Genisys route, but I still hate the way that looks.

I really wonder if this movie will happen. I know Weaver said she'd be surprised if it didn't, but now that Scott plans on making Covenant the first in a trilogy, I can see this never happening.

 

[TM2YC]

I just wanna see grizzled old Major(?) Hicks in Colonial Marine armour with Pulse Rifles and Dropships, kickin' ass side-by-side with Ripley. I don't really care how this happens. I love A3 but I'd not only be okay with it being ignored but I'd happily burn every copy myself, if it got me a Hicks/Ripley movie .

 

[ImperialFighter]

Sigourney Weaver's latest comments sure make it sound more and more as if Blomkamp is intending to merely 'ignore' ALIEN 3 and ALIEN RESURRECTION altogether, and make a completely 'alternative' follow-up to ALIENS - www.io9.gizmodo.com/the-eventual-aliens-sequel-will-wipe-alien-3-and-resurr-1783225719 and more thoughts here - www.aintitcool.com/node/75618

(which actually suits me fine if this turns out to be the case, as the way I'm planning to re-edit the previous sequels for myself will still tie in perfectly with this scenario, regardless) 

Unlike STAR TREK's alternative 'Kelvin Timeline' scenario which gave J.J. an excuse to change whatever he wanted for his reboot, this kind of 'alternative route' (if it makes no reference whatsover to the previous ALIENS sequels)  would be a first as far as effectively dismissing certain past filmed sequel events.  Looking ahead, if this proceeds and proves a successful movie, then I wonder if it will eventually start a trend for the prequels/sequels of other properties to be 'ignored' and entirely remade with an 'alternative route' kind of storyline instead?...

 

[addiesin]

^ Like Highlander 2?

 

[ImperialFighter]

^ Like Highlander 2?

 
Not quite.  While the ridiculous 'HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING' introduced some head-scratching retcons to it's great predecessor's storyline, it's not as if there was already some other 'HIGHLANDER 2' sequel which it was offering a different storyline to.  But this potential 'ALIEN 5' movie looks like it WILL offer a different storyline to the already filmed 'ALIEN 3' and 'ALIEN RESURRECTION' movies, and could be looked on as an equally legitimate 'ALIEN 3' so to speak.  (or 'ALIENS II' if you prefer).  I'm not aware of this exact situation being done before..

On the other hand, you may just be referring to the fact that the 'HIGHLANDER II' director himself ended up doing an 'alternative' version...but that was just a kind of 'Director's Cut' really.  I remember being sorely disappointed with the 'HIGHLANDER' sequel many years ago, but MIGHT end up checking out the 2004 'Special Edition' described here, just out of curiousity sometime!    - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_II:_The_Quickening

 

[ssj]

. . . which kind of brings up an interesting idea. as 20th-century movie franchises get extended into who-knows-what-century-ahead, raising the likelihood that story canon will get hairier and hoarier, perhaps the alternate-history approach will become more common.

a clean restart at whatever branch a writer/director/studio likes.

aren't we already seeing this in the superhero comics world?

 

[matrixgrindhouse]

^ Like Highlander 2?

 
Not quite.  While the ridiculous 'HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING' introduced some head-scratching retcons to it's great predecessor's storyline, it's not as if there was already some other 'HIGHLANDER 2' sequel which it was offering a different storyline to.  But this potential 'ALIEN 5' movie looks like it WILL offer a different storyline to the already filmed 'ALIEN 3' and 'ALIEN RESURRECTION' movies, and could be looked on as an equally legitimate 'ALIEN 3' so to speak.  (or 'ALIENS II' if you prefer).  I'm not aware of this exact situation being done before..

On the other hand, you may just be referring to the fact that the 'HIGHLANDER II' director himself ended up doing an 'alternative' version...but that was just a kind of 'Director's Cut' really.  I remember being sorely disappointed with the 'HIGHLANDER' sequel many years ago, but MIGHT end up checking out the 2004 'Special Edition' described here, just out of curiousity sometime!    - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_II:_The_Quickening

Well, Superman Returns served as a sequel to the second movie (I think it's meant to connect to Donner's version in particular?) and discards 3 and 4, so there is some precedent in that regard. 

As for Highlander 2, brace yourself.  The Renegade and subsequent revisions really don't help much.  Honestly, I think they're a bit worse than the original.  I won't get into spoiler territory, but I think the creative staff misunderstood the exact reason for the backlash over the "Immortals are actually aliens" angle.