There has been a lot of action and noise surrounding Ridley Scott’s upcoming prequel to the horror franchise Alien. And now things which were to begin with very quiet and a bit unclear are now beginning to make sense and fall into place. To start off, unlike previously reported the film will not be called Paradise, it has now been named Prometheus. Which I think is in keeping with the tone of the movies, it is a much more dark and mysterious title.
Also a release date has been announced as March 9th 2012, which is an awfully fast turn around for a film which will be quite large. The film will be shot in 3D, which as we know takes a while and will likely involve a lot of visual effects. Presumably Scott really does have the ball rolling, the script, which has been re-written by Lost alumni Damon Lindelof, is ready and a lot of hefty pre-production will begin if not continue.
He does have a lead actor too. The original Lisbeth Salander, Noomi Rapace, has been cast as the film’s lead Elizabeth Shaw and Charlize Theron along with Angelina Jolie are, according to reports, circling the role of Vickers, which is the other significant female role in the film. Ridley Scott has also said in the past that he is chasing Michael Fassbender for a role.
The most interesting news however is that it has grown and is now more than just an Alien prequel and in fact will only play as passing reference to the Alien series. Ridley Scott has said:
While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.
To be honest, I’m slightly glad about this. Scott is an underrated director in his own right and a brilliant visual artist, so the fact that this is now more than just a prequel is a relief. The fact he has found a story that he feels is right for him and the project. Screenwriter Damon Lindelof is also pleased with this collaboration:
In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie. It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true.
All in all a very exciting bunch of announcements. Although its unknown whether there will be two films, it may depend on the success of this but at least there is a concrete date in which we will finally get to peak at Scott’s venture back into this world. I am now extremely looking forward to this, it sounds fascinating. We’ll keep you posted.