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Ridley Scott's Alien Prequel Gets a Writer

Alien, star of film, innumerable comic books, novels, video games, crossovers, etc., is celebrating its 30th anniversary by going back to its roots with the announcement that writer Jon Spaihts will be writing the prequel film which Ridley Scott will direct.
In describing the film, Variety offers that it "is set up to be a prequel to the groundbreaking 1979 film that Scott directed. It will precede that film, in which the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. The crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them.

"The deal gives Fox another chance to keep the Alien franchise alive. There were three sequels to Scott's original, but it is the first time the director has set his mind on directing one. Spaihts has become a go-to-guy for space thrillers. After Keanu Reeves became attached to his Warner Bros. sci-fi script Shadow 19, Reeves hired Spaihts to write the space journey epic Passengers, which is berthed at Morgan Creek. That script got Spaihts the meeting with Fox and Scott Free, and he won the job with an Alien reboot take that the studio and Scott loved."

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EdGross
7/31/2009
Variety

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39 Comments

I wonder how long back will it pre-date and if they can squeeze 3 movies in before the 1979 version.
vonstallin - 7/31/2009, 6:31 AM
ALIEN PREQUEL???

I thought they stopped this idea an was doing a Sequel???

Oh wait that was Remake right, okay cool! ; )


I'll give you FIRST lol!
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 6:32 AM
this will be either really good or a complete disaster
supersteveprime18 - 7/31/2009, 6:34 AM
Would be cool to see how the Space Jockey came about. Other than that this movie will fail. We've seen the alien egg, the face hugger, the alien itself, two alien mommas, AVP and a dog alien. We've seen enough of the alien. Next idea, please?
SirPrize - 7/31/2009, 6:45 AM
ANGELINA JOLIE FOR RIPLEY!!!

Shaman - 7/31/2009, 7:01 AM
i agree. its time to move on from this
superdog - 7/31/2009, 7:24 AM
I can´t believe RScott fell in the prequel-trap. maybe he wants to do it right but Hollywood has proven many times that prequels are a chep-coward way to NOT to go forward in the story... i have faith in Scott, that is the only reason i will give it a shot.
SirJediFrank - 7/31/2009, 7:50 AM
Ridley Scott always wanted to do an Alien Prequel without the Aliens.....

the idea sounded awful - I wonder if this is his idea finally getting done.
Keven - 7/31/2009, 8:19 AM
Heyyyyyyy lol!



RIPLEY & MOONDRAGON!!! ; D
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 9:26 AM
LETS GET A ALIEN VS PREDATOR 3!!!
Ozymandias - 7/31/2009, 9:27 AM
0zymandias @ That's what i wanted too, ALIENS VS PREDATOR 3!

They should be doing this instead of rebooting!!!

Same goes for FREDDY VS JASON 2!!! ; )
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 9:34 AM
i really don't think u can go back to the "1 alien on a ship" theme, after "Aliens" people expect more
deadpool87 - 7/31/2009, 9:42 AM
LEEE- i'm thinking that Haley's Freddie will be kinda like the last Friday the 13th. A separate story type of reboot. Not a "re-boot" per say. I think it will be fine :)) And god knows i'd go for a F vs J2 :))

Man... That's a cute ass blad woman!!! Never thought i'd say this but, it suits her fine!!!
Shaman - 7/31/2009, 9:46 AM
Heh heh, but no hair to hold on too dude if you know what i mean! ; D

Yeah the new FRIDAY the 13th sucked, apart from the tits it was a crap movie, i wanted FREDDY VS JASON and damn ASH even! Hell yeah!!!
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 9:53 AM
oh god, lol. I just had visions of Leee yanking on some screaming chick's hair to some sweet sweet REO speedwagon music.
Keven - 7/31/2009, 9:58 AM
@Ozymandias@ they are making an AVP 3

The Alien movies are some of the best stuff to come out of FOX, and I think a prequel really is the only way to go I can't see the story going anywhere after the 4th film and Weaver is too old to play Ripley.

@Shaman@ really? Jolie, even though I would still go see it if she was Ripley It would bug me through the whole movie, Weaver was Ripley through 4 movies no reason to recast now, besides the age aspect but I'm sure they could play that off if they ever went sequel, which like I said in my previous statement I don't see how they could.
Osiris - 7/31/2009, 9:58 AM
You sure that wasn't "Journey" playing in the back ground there Kev???

Osiris- Actually, the perfect reason to recast for the PREQUEL, is that Weaver is now what... 50??? Wasn't she in her 30ies in the first film??? Prequel meaning of course that it would precede the first film. You mentionned herself she was to old to continue, logically she'd be too old to predate what she has done too.
Shaman - 7/31/2009, 10:16 AM
Holy crap, that would be the ultimate! Ridley Scott is my all-time favorite director!!!
Bijous - 7/31/2009, 10:28 AM
ALEXA DAVALOS for ripley...once scott directs it will kick ass...id love for ron perlman to somehow squirm his way into this movie...it just seems a fit for him at the moment
Anil Rickly - 7/31/2009, 10:46 AM
Wait...isn't that the same storyline as the first Alien? That's...kinda dumb and confusing. "Let's have a prequel, but give it the same storyline as the original, but with different characters." :D
Phoenix9109 - 7/31/2009, 11:10 AM
Anil Rickly- He was in "resurection".
Shaman - 7/31/2009, 11:54 AM
Meh...if Alien 3 wasn't total crapolla, then the trilogy would have been untouchable, like Star Wars...why do sucky movies get made?
TheDurkinKnight - 7/31/2009, 12:40 PM
i know perlman was in it b4...but still maybe they can have him in another role or something...i dont think its illegal to have him in a movie set way before...maybe he's the guy's bounty hunting ancestor or something...cuz i think he kicked ass in resurrection...and given the male leads or actors to fill these high-hopeful sci-fi flicks...he's a best choice for us fans
Anil Rickly - 7/31/2009, 12:51 PM
He WAS one of the best parts of resurection. In fact i very much liked A4, much more than A3.
Shaman - 7/31/2009, 1:03 PM
Why can't Alien vs Predator 3 be the prequel for Alien? I was under the impression that this was the direction they were heading. I love the Alien movies and the AvP movies. I enjoy them much more than the Predator films. AvP 3 should be the prequel since they left it with and obvious set up for a 3rd at the end of AvP Requiem.
retr0g0dfather - 7/31/2009, 2:24 PM
retro @ Me too dude, its a damn pity HOLLYWOODS gone on the reboot/remake wagon! Its like going backwards when we want to go forwards!

I was waiting for ROBOCOP VS TERMINATOR! ; )

So many VS movies would've been cool! You know what it is, i blame BATMAN lol, everyone thinks they have next next big franchise and they don't! ; D

I'll still watch this prequel though but i doubt it'll be at the cinema.

KEV @ LMAO man!!! ; D

SHAMAN @ Damn right man! ALIEN 4 was much better than 3!!!
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 2:49 PM
Stop making prequels go forward damnit. I mean really I am sick of some prequels. Its ok sometimes but not all the time. How about a 5 min FLASHBACK, THAT IS ALL THE PREQUEL WE NEED. Hollywood GET THE PICTURE!!!!!! NOT THE PAST PICTURE. STOP TRYING TO BE LIKE GEORGE LUCAS, NO EXCUSES ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spock - 7/31/2009, 3:17 PM
@Shaman@, the only way Ripley could be in a prequel would be a cameo considering she had never meet an Alien before the first film, this has to have an all new cast, I was talking about if they made a sequel, for her return.

@LEEE@ Robocop vs Terminator would be amazing, the old SNES game was the shit.
Osiris - 7/31/2009, 3:21 PM
If Scott is directing i dont give a flying [frick] if its a sequel, a requel, a prequel, it will be good! That's all that matters.

AVP requiem was a steaming pile of shit.

Shaman i liked Resurrection for the most part, the big white plasticine, melted candle [frick] up of a hybrid at the end almost ruined the whole movie though.
Rorschach01 - 7/31/2009, 3:24 PM
great news. this is the first news i have heard that it is a prequel and not a remake. so predator and alien will not be remade. this is great news.
grif - 7/31/2009, 3:33 PM
Star Wars started the prequel disease thats inffected hollywood. However that franchise needed the prequels (they should've been better) but they did some justice for the gaps in the original 3. However, not every franchise needs a prequel. Star Trek was good and it would have been just as good as a sequel. Franchises need to move forward for the next generation not reverse. Every prequel makes the originals look so much older. Why watch an updated film and then watch the outdated sequel that follows? This prequel crap is so infectious that Texas Chainsaw Massacre makes a Remake and follows it with a prequel. why? whats the point? They couldnt do the prequel first? I mean its like every director out there is thinking....damn I should have added this, or I should have done that. Well if thats the case, then save it for a sequel and add (what they forgot) in a flash back.....nuff said.
retr0g0dfather - 7/31/2009, 3:36 PM
Well, we are all p'ed off about the whole thing. Check.
We have to keep talking about it. Maybe someone will listen to our posts. A prequel is a good idea. But a reboot? Also, I kind of agree with the idea that Alien should be prequeled by AVP 3 That would make total sense. But then again...AVP ended kind of "Enh oh well." to me.
Scorpioxfactor - 7/31/2009, 3:52 PM
; )
LEEE777 - 7/31/2009, 4:59 PM
RetroGF

Save for one. Lest we forget Temple of Doom was a prequel to Raiders. Chronologically, the events in that film occur the year before. They make no big stink about it, in fact, you can't even tell. But it's true.

"THROOOOOOOOW THEM DR. JONES!! The stones will be found... YOU WON'T!!"


Yo, where's Betty?
BillyBlack - 7/31/2009, 5:26 PM
prequels usually suck, but if Ridley Scott is directing, I have faith.
Hesse - 7/31/2009, 8:23 PM
Does anyone know if the new predator movie is a prequel?
Ozymandias - 7/31/2009, 8:29 PM
RIDLEY SCOTT IS THE MAESTRO.
OSCURO - 8/1/2009, 3:39 PM
The suprise factor is lost. There is nothing new you can do with this franchise but to evolve the Aliens. A prequel couldn't do so. Everyone in the prequel will have to die because when the crew of 1979 Alien encountered the species, no one had ever reported such a thing.

And the AVP movies are a waste. They try, over and over, to scare us with the tricks we already know, but instead they do it with characters we don't care about. The development of Weyland-Yutani is good but the rest is more of the same.

Alien worked in 1979 because it was new, suspenseful, and the alien wasn't the only mystery threat. Aliens worked because multiple aliens is different that one, and we met the queen. Alien 3 almost worked because it was more about Ripley as an alien to her environment. Alien: Resurrection almost worked because Ripley evolved. AVP, however, is a one-trick pony, trotting over old ground.

One of these creatures has to learn to communicate for things to get interesting again. An alien has to switch sides or something or we have to see some weirder aliens birthed from non-earth life forms. The Predator Alien was a good concept with weak execution.

Rock On, CBM!
sethasa - 8/2/2009, 11:48 AM
Go Scott!
Inohaku - 8/2/2009, 5:07 PM

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