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Fox Hires a Commercials Director for Their Alien Reboot?

by Alex Billington
May 28, 2009
Source: Bloody Disgusting

It looks like Fox is getting a bit desperate. Not only are they moving forward on the Robert Rodriguez Predators reboot, but it looks as if the rumored Alien reboot is officially moving forward as well. Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Fox has hired Carl Rinsch, a commercial and music video director, to helm the new Alien. The only good news is that apparently Michael Costigan, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott are all on-board to produce via their own Scott Free Productions. Rinsch has apparently worked for Scott Free as well and isn't necessarily an outsider (you can see some of his work online). Is there any hope for this?

Word is that this reboot, as it's being called, will be more of an origin story as opposed to a straight-up remake. The plan is supposedly to "stick with the original concept of only one alien on the ship." I don't care if they've got Ridley Scott involved (which confirms what Tom Rothman was saying in April about bringing him back), this is probably going to turn out terrible. Just look at what Fox did with Alien vs Predator; then they tried to reboot that with Aliens vs Predator: Requiem and it was even worse. Does anyone really think that by rebooting Alien we're going to see anything that even lives up to Alien 3 or Alien: Resurrection?

This isn't confirmed by the studio yet, it's only an early scoop from BD. But I have a feeling that Fox is desperate to move forward on this and they asked Ridley to find a director that he liked (instead of risking it with someone they would choose). Maybe I'm trying to look on the bright side a little too much, despite that I'm expecting nothing good to come of this anyway. We'll keep you updated on all the latest. Thoughts?

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions, Rumors

uh

alien 3 was david fincher's directorial debut, as he only did music videos before that. he also excludes it from his resume and wants nothing to do with it, refusing to even provide audio commentary for the dvd.
m4st4

Good luck with that...Fox.
m4st4

#1 Considering how butchered it was, Alien 3 is still a good SF, but not good enough Alien-movie...much like this new Terminator.
Robbie

Why reboot..? That is totally not neccesary.. Let the movies be please.. They are fine as they are now =)
http://www.widescreenwonderland.com Widescreen Wonderland

Scott Free offers a glimmer of hope but there is no way that this is going to be any good. It would be like trying to reboot the Jaws franchise...DON'T! It might make a bit of money but it's basically going to be a flashy/stylish re-imagining with only an eighth of the tension.
Doug

It was bound to happen. No use gnashing your teeth (or even your second set as well). Remakes, reboots, re-do's. Who cares? I love the series as much as anyone else, and I am not surprised. I only ask that if they are going to movie forward, please, JUST MAKE IT INTERESTING. AvP was a big pile of dogshit from talentless hack writers and directors and also FOX. With Scott involved it gives me *some* hope that it might be good. But I will wait and see. It cant be any worse than the recent offerings can it? What's left to remake? Jaws, Exorcist and Poltergeist. They will come for those too.
Tim

This just in: Ridley Scott was a commercial director. How does a movie like Pandorum get he Alex seal of approval but another Alien movie does not?
Andrius

FOX ...destroying everything that is good in this world....keep it up boys!
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

You know, it's funny, I feel like you just have a grudge against ME, not any of this news Tim. It's always the opposite of everything I write, ALWAYS. Most people do NOT like the idea of seeing Alien rebooted, with a commercial director or otherwise. And my complaints in this article (which if you read it you might've GOT this) are more about the whole concept and Fox's involvement, NOT the director (I barely mention him at ALL). Goodness...
http://greatct.wordpress.com/ Marc

Not saying this is a great idea or not but Scott Free Productions' involvement should help. And as far as getting Carl Rinsch to direct, well Zack Snyder used to do car commericals...now look at him.
Robbie

Everyone starts small.. Most of the directors do commercials and then climb up.
m4st4

#9 Seems to me you have a confidence problem, Alex. You don't have to explain yourself, but, let's be serious, after AVP-R and Wolverine and whatever, can we really expect something clever from Fox? And don't mention AVATAR, cuz it's all Jim baby...
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

#13 - What are you talking about? Of course I think this will be bad, that's my point? I just said it's bad because of Fox - which is exactly what you said - and not because of the director. If anything, I mentioned that the director is probably the highlight...
m4st4

#14 I get it...Also, I realize how frustrating it must be to run a site and deal with a bunch of morons, every day... I'll be the first in line if this turns out to be something solid, but each and every day we get some kind of stupid remake news (Predators, Alien, Crow, Elm Street)...Sick of it. If they turn out to be as good as Star Trek by J.J. - fine! But, previous scars and now this...it's just...not right. Still, thanks for posting this article, we need to blable about something, right?
m4st4

#14 More importantly, if Fox had the balls and just said: ''Allright guys, we're giving you sir Ridley, we're gonna give him Jim Cameron's technology and loads of money!'', I would've been one happy fucking geek! Fox is not doing it, so I'm sceptical...and I'm sure you agree
Voice of reason

i really want this to be good, and if ridley wasn't involved I would be really worried now!!! Hopefully he will guide the director in the right direction, preferably very far away from alien vs predator requiem!!!
qweqwu

the director made this commercial, so don't be too sure he sucks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM5IeIfgQB8&feature=channel_page
m4st4

#18 Wow. My fingers are crossed, for real
Jason K

tarsem singh started with commercials and music videos. as for an origins, i think it would be amazing if they explained the story of how the ship from part 1 with all the alien eggs landed there and the story behind the distress signal, but i highly doubt they are going to do that
http://cinenautas.net Kosmonauta

Well, David Fincher, Sack Snyder and Spike Jonze started as commercials directors, so lets wait and see more before gettin worried.
Fox

I've had enough of Alien (and Predator, for what its worth), please... we've had enough of it for 30 years (incredible isn't it ?), and the best (and great!) movies were already made (Alien, Aliens), so what's the point of doing the same stuff over and over and over again? For profit, of course! And so, this one will undoubtedly suck too, because if Fox didn't want more of the same, it would greenlight new franchises, right? Best of luck to the new director though, I hope he can do the best he can, without the producer messing around with the script and direction (unlike Fincher, for example). With that said, if only they made the movie that Alien 3 should (and was announced to) be: Aliens in Earth...
TheSaint

Well as a fan of the Alein Saga(I even have some of the comics by dark horse) I'm happy to hear about a reboot. I'm not really looking for it to be ground breaking or to blow me away. As long as it is entertaining enough to warrant the price of admission I'll be happy. I think that as time goes by we lose sight of the simple pleasures and expect that everything that comes out be epic. Can you think ahead if that happens? After so many epic movies the are no longer epic but the standard. Then they have to push farther and harder to reach Epic again , which then becomes the standard and so on and so forth. Now I am not excusing poor movies or directing. I'm just saying that the Higher you set your expectations the more you'll be let down. Just go in expecting to be entertained and nothing more. Now as far as an other Alein movie with Scott Free on it? HELLS YEAH!!!
Al

Zach Snyder started with commercials.
LW

OH no! The alien's coming to kill us!! Luckily for, I have this bottle of coke to drink before I die. *smiles at camera*
Alfredo

I think a lot of you are missing the point Alex was making, it's not about who the director is. It's about the fact that they're doing ANOTHER reboot of a beloved series. And the fact that FOX is in charge.
http://www.bleepinggeek.com Pete the Geek

It doesn't really matter who's directing it because a good director can come from anywhere. More importantly, this is a FOX production which means it will no doubt be horribly butchered and sanitized down to PG-13 for the masses, and I won't even bother seeing it in theaters (as I have decided to do with all Fox films).
sumonesumtime

This guys work is ucking great! Everyone bitching on here should check it out. besides it's just a movie series and it would be tough to make it worse then either AVP.
Cat

Sounds like trouble.
S

I would be interested in an origin story about where the aliens came from and how that ship crashed from Alien....IF it's done well...
http://digaphobia.com Mark

#6 - I agree with you completely. It was bound to happen and let's just hope it is at least mildly interesting. And really, REALLY the only truly negative thing one can look to right now is exactly what Alex pointed out: FOX is working this. If this were a completely new project or even an Alien sequel, I think most of you would be all over it, especially with Rinsch and Scott Free being involved. As far as rebooting classics, I'm hopeful that eventually they will go the way of the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism. That is to say eventually, no matter how long it takes, _eventually_ Hollywood will go too far and alienate so much of the prospective audience for X remake/reboot that they will give it up for a while. That or Fox will eventually work with George Lucas to reboot Star Wars and the massive geek riots which ensue will silence even those greedy, concrete minded movie execs.
Dan W

I was more excited when news came out that they were thinking of showing what the Space Jockey was in the ship in the first alien. I don't think there is a need to make another movie like the first alien. I am disappointed in this news and hopefully they will not try and make another movie like Alien. I would rather not see a new Alien movie at all unless it is amazing. I want to see what the space jockey is all about.
one

Carl is actually a great director. He works in the RSA building next to Scott Free. He works pretty tightly with Jordan Scott (Ridley's Daughter) so if Ridley is going to trust anyone with this project its Carl, who has worked in their house for years now. (You can see what he has done on their website rsafilms.com) I think its lame that they keep doing reboots and remakes, origin stories etc, but again...whenever the Scott's are involved in anything, it's sure to be a good thing....
D

I just hope the setting is nowhere near earth, keep it way off in space and in the future
http://www.geeshirts.net El_MUERkO

i read this now and know that i will bet anyone here $5 that the movie shat out of foxes arse and stamped 'Alien' will be worse than ear cancer pick me five moviegoers and if three or more choose watching the movie a second time rather than get ear cancer then i will give you $5
?????

I really really really really really don't want fox to touch Alien. Like, I'm willing to write to coporate and do petitions and picket the studio. Its my favorite sci fi film and I'm really afraid they will mess this up.
LSP

I'm kinda excited being a huge fan of Aliens and obviously more than Alex. An origin story could be alright but I hope they remember the expanded universe because it is forgotten so much in movies when they come back. *cough* LUCAS *cough* so we will see. Requiem was awesome though and what AVP should have been more like. Simple Alien on Predator action and not some replacement for Sigourney.
Last Son

Alex don't let anyone get to you man. Stick to your guns. You have a right to be worried here, but then again like you said both Ridley and Tony Scott are producing. So there is some light there in all this. The problem with Alien Vs Predator was that fox hired a bad director (Paul W.S. Anderson), and if both Ridley and Tony have enough confidence in this commerical director to make this happen then lets see what he can do. Both Alien and Aliens are awesome, but Alien 3/Alien Resurrection and the two AVP films are really bad so the I don't think the alien franchise can get any worse.
avoidz

Ridley Scott isn't necessarily an automatic seal of quality. He's made quite a few duds in the almost-10 years since Gladiator. This is also yet another dumb reboot from Hollywood, though not unexpected in these times of creative famine in movies.
JimD

Please God No. We all know what happens when you ask someone who directs music videos to make a movie....No Plot. Terminator Salvation anybody?
bozoconnors

@JimD but but.... he did Charlie's Angles too!!!!! (kidding)
DAvid Lion

Name more successful movie directors who started out with a Commercial or industrial film. please.