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More Hints at Ridley Scott's Involvement in Another Aliens?

by Alex Billington
April 28, 2009
Source: IESB

First it was Predator, now it's Aliens, too? Last week it was confirmed that Robert Rodriguez is officially rebooting the Predator franchise with a new feature called Predators. So what about Aliens? Does Fox want to resuscitate that franchise, too? Well, if you believe what Tom Rothman says in this interview over on IESB, then it may indeed be possible that they're trying to get Ridley Scott to come back and make another. "There's been some talk," Rothman said when asked about another Alien movie. We last wrote about this rumor in December, with Sigourney Weaver talking about the potential return of Ellen Ripley.

When Ridley Scott's name is specifically brought up, Rothman seems to get a bit excited. "I think he's toying with the idea... and that would be great for us. It's always been a matter of, really, if you could get the originator to do it... So we have our fingers crossed." Of course they have their fingers crossed, because if they get Scott back for another Alien movie, then they've pretty much got a guaranteed hit on their hands! Sigourney Weaver already hinted about Scott's involvement previously. "We'd have to go back to the drawing board on [the alien]. Ridley said that right away when we first talked about [a fifth film]," she said.

I'm a bit baffled that the very same director who once said "sci-fi films are as dead as westerns" is now considering not one, not two, but three huge sci-fi projects following Robin Hood. The first is an adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, although that seems the least likely of the three. The second is an adaptation of Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, which has been talked about as his sci-fi follow-up to Robin Hood. And the third, of course, is another Alien movie or some feature involving the character of Ellen Ripley, although this also seems very unlikely at this point. I think Rothman is just being overly hopeful.

Honestly, I'm much more interested in seeing something new in the Alien franchise rather than the Predator franchise. I think it has so much more of a legacy to it (just look at the directors - Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet), whereas Predator was just a successful action series and not much more. Even if they get something going without Ridley Scott, as long as they hire some damn good writers and a great director, I'll at least be mildly excited, whereas with Predator, I don't really care about it and won't care about it until we probably have a trailer. Only time will tell what happens next!

Filed under Discuss, Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

cregso

loving the idea of a reboot of Predator and Aliens, loved the first predator...."over here, over here!!" but jesus christ, is there any originality left in hollywood!!??
Tom W

Id love to see an alien reboot
Fuelbot

To hell with Tom Rothman.
T900

It's estimated there's 35,000 screenplays registered with the WGA every year. Surely 1-5 them are worth making into movies. There's just no one in Hollywood willing to take a risk anymore. Everything has to have a built in audience, or adapted from a fucking comic book or video game. Audiences WANT original movies.
Pvt Hudson

"I say we grease this rat fuck son of a bitch right now."
http://www.bleepinggeek.com Pete the Geek

In response to #4: There is no "Hollywood" anymore, it's been replaced by "The Movie Industry". Hollywood was a place where an aspiring writer with a great script could make his dreams come true. The Movie Industry only makes films they can make a buck off of. Audiences may want original movies, but I can tell you for certain (I have friends who work in various roles at various studios) that everyone in charge is looking for exactly one thing: what can they make the most money off of with the least amount of effort. This is why Fox survives, this is why we get more than a dozen remakes (yes, remakes - don't delude yourselves by calling them reboots or reimaginings) per year, this is why the original film rarely gets to see the light of day - audiences pay more money for something with brand recognition on it. Case in point - you can make an absolutely horrible B-Movie, toss a bunch of special effects on it, slap the name "Wolverine" on it, and I can guarantee that it's going to make it's money back in the box office, no matter how bad it is. I'd love to see a movie do what Alien did - make a sci-fi/horror movie with a unique plot and real terror in it (no cheap "jump gags") - but I really have no interest in seeing another beloved franchise trotted out in new makeup for a quick payoff.
Lou

I'm excited for a predator reboot cause Robert Rodriguez is gonna direct, I think it will kick ass!
dom

Alex, the last Aliens film was pretty poor, isn't it likely another one would be just as bad?
LINKFX

ALIEN!!!!!!!!!! I have been hearing rumors about this forever and this is just as flimsy news as the last piece to come out about Ridley's involvement, but I always get super excited and hopeful. Ellen Ripley needs ONE MORE adventure, and then I will be satisfied! It would be awesome if it were Ridley Scott!
Mathieu

'I'm a bit baffled that the very same director who once said "sci-fi films are as dead as westerns" is now considering not one, not two, but three huge sci-fi projects following Robin Hood.' Don't take everything so literally, Alex. He wasn't saying that he didn't like them or didn't want to make more sci-fi films. He was just saying how difficult it is to make them and find an audience for them these days. Which is the same situation anyone wanting to make a western - which he does - finds themselves in. Fortunately, after a decade of superhero films taking over completely, with Star Trek, Avatar and the new Terminator it seems that the tide is turning for one of those troubled genres at least...
bozoconnors

If it's Ridley, I hope and prey he brings some marines back into the fray.
S

IMO the Ellen Ripley story line has played out. She f-ing died in the third one and now she's a "clone" in the fourth. I'd like to see a new hero and a new story line. Maybe set between the third and fourth movie.
macca

Do audiences want original movies? Not, seemingly, the young males targeted for serial film franchises. They don't go to original films, not unless they're very genre specific, which makes them familiar and unoriginal in concept. In many ways, it's a shame that sequels and remakes keep getting produced, as it prevents young audiences from developing an interest in new ideas, or to appreciate film genres outside their currently preferred comfort zone. I've heard young men say they only go see one kind of film, be it horror, action adventure, sci-fi. Since studios only care about making money, films are geared to this familiarity and is stifling for originality. Many fear the new as much as the old. They want more of the same... just bigger, more violent, noisier and with hyper special effects. Pure crap pulls in a genre audience these days, and when the studios see the numbers, cancel original projects because they're a bit risky. If audiences aren't open to seeing something fresh and new, they won't get made. .
Dan W

I've always liked Aliens more than Predator. In the AVP movies (which sucked) I always rooted for the Aliens. So I'm glad they might get a proper introduction to the new generation rather than just leaving it at the horrid AVP movies. I hope this goes through.
http://movies.iconocritic.com/ peloquin

They need to bring back Ripley, but change the creatures around completely to be a new species on a new planet. I'm sure the mind that came up with the classic face-hugger evolution and the internal human incubation process can bring us a new and equally unique monster.
Mathieu

Dan W - There already is a proper introduction to the Alien universe for a new generation. It's called Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. Then there was a rather good sequel called Aliens, by James Cameron. People can buy or rent these films or see them on TV. They already exist, and they're great. If someone refuses to watch something that didn't get released at the cinema during their lifetime* they're an idiot. And why keep making films for idiots? *The director's cut of Alien had a theatrical re-release only a few years ago, anyway.
Fisherr

Rebooting Predator is a good idea but rebooting Aliens not sure about that wasn't a big fan of the Aliens series.
http://entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com

I totally agree with #14. No one can make a better Alien film than Cameron's Aliens. That is a masterpiece. chuck
http://evilnik.blog.com evilnik

i still remember the directors cut of alien freaking me out some time back. i had broken my leg, and was bed ridden. and this movie really did blow me apart. alien is still good as it was some 30 yrs back. but, i dont want to a beloved classic getting anally raped by *ahem* PG 13 rating *ahem* +merchading driven , movie for pubescent fans who thinks transformers are the greatest thing ever made ... ridley scott, please dont sell out. peace out.
Hey Ya

#13, you don't even know who designed the alien? Ugh...seriously. Mathieu I'm with you! It's sad people can't just go rent a freakin' movie. I have the box set on DVD and have watched every bit of it. I can never get enough but I already watched the first two before the third one and went and saw that in theaters. I was 6 then.
xerxex

BRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ORIGINALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JJJT

everybody stop bitching about how hollywood isnt original anymore!!!! even tho most people are doing reboots or remakes or adaptations of videogames, cartoons, comic books, novels, or anime nowadays, there still are directors and writers out there that are doing original, and even risky stuff!!! prime example: JAMES CAMERONS AVATAR! another example: quentin tarantino's Inglorious Basterds! actually all of his movies are basically risky and original! and inglorious basterds is not a remake, it is not based on that other old black and white movie! christopher nolans new movie = original steven spielbergs lincoln bio pic and other movie called interstellar= original everybody stop bitching about originality just cuz theres lots of adaptations and remakes, its just a craze right now wen there are people doing things really ORIGINAL!!!!!!!!
LaughlinNVhotels

I think this is sooo cool!
B-Han

#1, no there is not. I loved aliens and predator both but when is enough enough? Nightmare on Elm Street? Friday the 13th? Day the Earth Stood still? Teenage mutant ninja turtles? Drop dead fred? It seems like they ran out of good movies even to remake.
bad movie

Avatar looks retarded. I want an "Alien" story about the only character worth a damn, Corp. Hicks. "I like to keep this handy, for close encounters."
Ajax

I remeber that dark horse comics did an Alien spin-off comic that was sortof like Aliens, but had it's own special qualities. I much rather see that than another reboot
avoidz

It's impossible to imagine anyone making a better movie than James Cameron's 1986 Aliens (the theatrical cut being the best version, IMO).
Conrad

#5 Hudson! Bill Paxton was great. as always!
Fox

Forever War > any Alien remake
JJJT

#25 HOW CAN AVATAR LOOK RETARDED WENS THERES NO TRAILER FOR IT AND ONLY ONE FUZZY PICTURE OF IT!!!!
Keith

Why can't they make a new movie that takes place after Aliens and ignores Alien 3 and Resurrection? Make it take place years later to explain Ripley's aging and do a plot similar to Aliens: colony + marines + aliens. Seems like a no brainer - it's what the fans want! Personally I don't think that Alien 3 was that bad but "Resurrection" was awful. The problem with the AVP movies is that the Aliens belong in space, where "no one can hear you scream".
Keith

#25 The original script for "alien 3" had Hicks survive the crash and not Ripley and on a colony planet, not a prison. Some empty suit in Hollywood decided you couldn't have the franchise without Ripley, so they changed it.
Hobo's Dick Cheese

This sounds like a job for McG. Or Michael Bay. Not a real director like Ridley Scott. Plus, Sam Worthington is going to be in it anyway, so why get exited?