More Details from Scott on ALIEN Prequel!

A few more details from Ridley Scott about the Alien prequel surfaced in a recent interview from Hero Complex L.A.:

I sat thinking about the franchise, which now has died on the road somewhere way back and lying in the dust, and thought what I should do is go back… in the first Alien, when John Hurt climbed up and over the top of the rise… there was a massive giant lying in a chair. The chair was either a form of engine or some piece of technology and I always thought no one has ever asked who was the space jockey?”

I think beneath that carcass… it’s not a carcass, it’s a suit. Inside the suit is a being.

Sure, it’s not much.  But it does suggest that the so-called “space jockey” (pictured above) will be something different than what we’ve imagined for thirty years.

Ridley Scott Confirms “Space Jockey” Plot of ALIEN Prequel!

For some time fans of the Alien franchise have suggested the Alien prequel would involve the “space jockey”.  (That attractive alien dude above.  He even has his own wiki.)  But this had not officially been confirmed by Ridley Scott … until now.

In a recent interview with MTV, Scott said:

[The Alien prequel is] set in 2085, about 30 years before Sigourney [Weaver's character Ellen Ripley]. It’s fundamentally about going out to find out ‘Who the hell was that Space Jockey?’ The guy who was sitting in the chair in the alien vehicle — there was a giant fellow sitting in a seat on what looked to be either a piece of technology or an astronomer’s chair. Remember that?

In addition to the Space Jockey what else is the film about?  Well, Scott let this slip:

[The film] is about the discussion of terraforming — taking planets and planetoids and balls of earth and trying to terraform, seed them with the possibilities of future life.

Scott also had this to say about the script:

As we speak, I’ve got a pile of pages next to me; it’s like the fourth draft. It’s a work in progress, but we’re not dreaming it up anymore. We know what the story is. We’re now actually trying to improve the three acts and make the characters better, build it up to something [we can shoot]. It’s a work in progress, but we’re actually making the film. There’s no question about it, we’re going to make the film.

And he had this to say about H.R. Giger’s involvement in the prequel:

Yeah, [H.R. Giger is] still around. Once I get more serious and get going, and the big wheels start turning, we’ll certainly talk. And maybe we’ll come up with something completely different.

Finally, for total geeks, he dropped this little bit of in-story history:

[The Weyland-Yutani Company is]  Weyland. Weyland hasn’t joined Yutani yet, so they go and see Weyland.

All this is quite intriguing.  But Alien fans should remain skeptical.  The odds are still against anyone being able to re-invigorate the Alien franchise.  Even Scott himself.

But, hopefully, Scott will buck the odds.  And deliver a fantastic film.

Ridley Scott ALIEN Prequel to be in 3D!

In an interview with Shadow Locked, Alien art director Roger Christian said:

Ridley’s doing the next Alien in 3D.

Christian went on to say:

Ridley told me some of his ideas when we were here in Toronto. He has a very clear understanding of where this should go. They kind of stopped dead one of the greatest horror franchises there’s ever been, and it had legs to go on. So I’m hoping he’ll revive another three. The world certainly wants it, and the fans want it – everybody.

We’re still skeptical about this source.  We await confirmation directly from the Scott camp.  But, given the mania for 3D these days, we wouldn’t be surprised if this news were true.

Ridley Scott to Direct (yes, Direct!) New ALIEN Movie!

The news that Ridley Scott was producing an Alien prequel hit the Internet with a thud a few months back.  But Fox has recently announced he will not only be producing … but directing!  The film will be written by Jon Spaights.  Spaights has no produced credits, but his Sci-Fi script The Passengers impressed Fox enough to offer him a chance to pitch, and the pitch won him the gig.

No news yet on plot details.  And fan reactions seems mixed on the idea of reviving the “Space Jockey” idea.   We’re not so sure about that either.  But Ridley returning to Sci-Fi is good news!