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Ridley Scott Finally Reveals Details on His New Alien Prequel

by Alex Billington
April 23, 2010
Source: MTV

Although we've heard a few bits and pieces about Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi (and space) by way of a new Alien prequel, we still don't know much about. However, it was inevitable that one day the details would all be revealed, and today's the day. MTV talked with Ridley Scott recently and got some good updates out of him about the status and what to expect. "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... But we're actually making the film. There's no question about it, we're going to make the film." Read on!

As for the story, since that's what everyone wants to hear, Ridley unveils the basic premise of the prequel:

"It's 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?"

"And our man [Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas] climbs up and says 'There's been an explosion in his chest from the inside out — what was that?' I'm basically explaining who that Space Jockey — we call him the Space Jockey — I'm explaining who the space jockeys were."

Yes! That's actually one part of the Alien mythology that I've been hoping they'd one day explore, so that's perfectly fine by me! As for whether or not he'll be bringing back the legendary H.R. Giger to design sets and other elements, Ridley seems hopeful. "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." I can't tell you how great it is to have the man who started it all, Sir Ridley Scott, leading this prequel into development. When can we expect to see it? "We're hoping to have it in theaters in late 2011, or maybe the best date in 2012." Bring it on! Head over to MTV to read the full interview packed with a bit more info. Excited yet?

Filed under Hype, Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

luishungry

As long as I don't hear about any 3D nonsense, then it's okay by me
shy guy

Woa... nice! The space jockey bit was one of the most cool and misterious elements in the first Alien. Im not sure how are they going to manage making a whole movie out of that element (surely there have to be humans in the story?) but i really hope that the result is great. And the fact that Ridley is coming back, and maybe even Giger... pure awesome! Bring it on.
Pete

Mixed feelings. Part of why the space jockey was so cool was because he was such a mystery. But it has potential since Ridley is at the helm.
LINKFX

this is amazing news. I watch Alien at least 10 times a year. Ridley coming back to the series he was born to direct. CAN NOT WAIT!
Xerxex

Ah The Space Jockey perfect part of an amazing film, Ridley is an amazing director, and as long as it doesn't go 3-D I'll be a happy camper.
Zantorian

Alien was the first movie commercial that ever frightened me, I didn't see the movie until 10 years later. The movie didn't frighten me when I saw it, but I've never forgotten that ad with the egg and, "In space, no one can hear you scream" The only other movie that ever frightened me was The Exorcist. Doing the Space Jockey is sweet. I hope this is good as I've only seen Alien, Aliens and Alienses on Saturday Night Live I refuse to see the other sequels.
People's Champ

I'm sure the 3d is coming.
Matthew

Wow, I love the Alien series but I don't remember the Space Jockey. I suppose it's cause I'm so fascinated by everything else, what a key element to miss. Good thing Alien is on my PS3, time to fire it up.
Pat

Don't know how to feel. The mystery of that long-dead space jockey (who crashed his ship a LOT more than 30 years before "Alien," I'd say, given how thoroughly fossilized he was) was one of the most scary and compelling parts of the first film; and while part of me has always wanted the jockey's story to be explained in some way, I think that doing it through a prequel--especially in a story that will involve humans--will destroy a lot of that mystery and create a ton of inconsistencies with the storyline of "Alien." I always figured that whatever events led to the crash of the jockey's ship had occurred hundreds, if not thousands of years prior, and that a COMPLETE lack of human involvement in those events was always a given. The events of "Alien," I think, really should be humanity's first enounter with these creatures; watching the original movie after this prequel, I would think, would make the original far less scary and mysterious. I think the jockey's story, or the story of his species and their involvement with the aliens, would be much better told through a sequel, when humans finally encounter their race out in space and discover what they're all about. All that said, if Ridley does go with 3D, I may boycott. Nothing sounds less interesting to me than a gimmicky, 3D chestburster leaping at me off the screen. That's just stupid, and the "Alien" series is above these lame gimmicks.
Hattori Hanzo

Yes!!!! Can it be that we may actually get a space move without any humans or humaoids in it or is that too much to ask for?. Even Cameron never had the guts to do Avatar without humans in it. Imagine the fun Scott could have with that orginal concept!
dRailer

agreed with 3. Actually I don't even think the space jockey is "cool," I just don't need to know about him. Leave it be a mystery. The Clone Wars were a mystery once. Wasn't it better when they were a mystery?
dRailer

Also agreed with #10, sort of. I don't mind seeing a new crew of humans, or a space jockey... but why does it always have to be RIPLEY... and now THE space jockey. I'll even take A space jockey, but please can we not see THE space jockey that we saw in Alien? Again I have to reference Star Wars -- why do we have to keep following these characters around? The universes crafted by these movies are detailed and interesting enough, let's just go travel to a different corner and not necessarily meet up with the other stories again, alright? If it turns out the space jockey made Ash or Bishop I'm going to kick somebody's ass.
DarkRaven18599

Ok, just gonna throw this thought out there... The space jockey was huge. Probably about a good 16-20 feet tall. The xenomorph, (or alien) in the first movie was roughly 6-7 feet tall when upright. Depending on whether Scott will be going with the concepts released in the sequels of the xenomorphs taking on the characteristics of the host organisms, (which I hope he won't), we could be seeing the larger space jockey being beset from a smaller predatory creature. I think there is the potential for some great spatial shots using IMAX to emphasize that difference in size by making the movie itself larger than life. Using the larger frame ratio of the IMAX screen could allow for some really cool shots from the perspective of the creature looking up at it's intended prey. I don't know, like I said, just throwing it out there...
http://www.thenameless.org Mike McRorey

This is something I have been waiting for since I first heard about the prequel. I am glad Ridley Scott is back for it and will the movie franchise will make up for the crap that was released after Aliens.
Dan W

I agree that there should be no humans in the film, but that would never happen. I am excited for this. But I also agree with #9 in that since there will no doubt be humans coming into contact with the Aliens in the prequel, watching Alien after seeing it wouldn't make it less scary and less mysterious. I do want to see what the deal was with the space jockeys though. I just hope they can pull it off.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

I always liked that scene and it was a shame it was only used just so the astronaut could get infected. The way the pods were set up with the tripwire forcefield was strange I think, it was almost like a security system. The Space Jockey would definitely be interesting, but I'm not that fussed either way. I will watch it when it comes out, if it does.
skywalker

AMAZING! i cant wait! thanks Sir Scott,Thanks!!! i hope for 3D version.
spanky

I'd really like to see this...provided they do it right...I have wondered why they never expanded on the "Space Jockey" in any of the previous films...glad someone finally noticed that an entirely new chapter for this series has been staring them in the face since the first movie....
Tomi

Side note: When all these great movies start rolling out in 3D, will there be theatres that show it not in 3D? I hate 3D and would like that option.
Hellboy

Space Jockey's and Xenomorphs in 3D? FTW!
GIGERBRICK

I can't wait to see it
http://www.bleepinggeek.com Pete the Geek

I am so ready for this - and I hope they shoot it in 3D (as long as they actually PLAN IT and SHOOT IT in 3D, not just take a 2D movie and try to shoe-horn 3D onto it for a bigger paycheck).
Gonnarentit

I actually think that 3D could help make a movie like Alien even more creepy... imagine peering down those long dark corridors from the first movie... or the tunnel where Skerrit buys it and the Alien pops out of the dark reaching for him. It could be effective without being campy. I think everyone agrees that if it is going to be 3D, it needs to be SHOT in 3D, and I am interested to see what someone other than Cameron could do with that... especially in a non action film.
jeffrey

Wanna see my space jockey? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=291897&id=100000001805240
kj

Wow...talk about crap. "We really have nothing new and I need money so let's run with a boring story that has been explained plenty of times with humans and other aliens." So disappointed. Given I already was when they said Alien prequel...
ryderup

I love Alien and Scott, but overexplaining could suck (á the star wars prequals) I would love to continue on after Alien, maybe something that parallels the story of Aliens/Alien3 or something that respects those films and starts up after Alien4 (Ripley-Clone coming back to earth and the humans starting an invasion of the Alien planet etc) But I understand that Scott want to build the story around his entry. But it's still Scott and it's still Alien and hopefully it will be classy and horrific like the original (and not a glorified B-film like Camerons)
Zack

I agree with folks who say that the mystery of the Space Jockey should remain just that, a mystery The revelation of the fossilized thing is one of the creepiest moments in the first and still the best ALIEN movie. Devoting a full length movie to what is basically "a cool moment" is a bad, bad idea. They should pick up where ALIEN 4 ends with Ripley & Winona crashes back on Earth. An ALIEN movie without Sigourney character, unfortunately, has no dramatic weight. Look at the ALIEN vs PREDATOR series. They are pretty good genre flicks but nothing more. The plot could still revolve around the Company wanting to harness the Alien biological for weapon development. They secretly unleash the critters on unsuspecting small towns, military steps in, quarantines, let the chaos continues while the aliens build nests, capture human hosts from healthy suburban kids, while the scientists conduct their experiments. Only Ripley knows what they are doing, gathers up ragtag team of survivors form the town & fights back like she always does. "So the Invasion Shall Begin..."
Xerxex

I don't see what you guys are worried about, its Ridley effing Scott and Alien is his baby. If Scott wants to create a story about The Space Jockey one of the most mysterious beings in film then I say let him! also no 3-D!
Xerxex

Well I was wrong, it appears the prequel is gonna go 3-D, I'll have to stomach it I guess if there is no 2-D option. I mean a lot of you guys perfer films that are 3-D to be shot in 3-D and it looks that way, Scott is planning two sequels and is shooting them both in 3-D...yay!
Frank N. Stein

I think Sir Ridley should introduce the world to 5D....not only is there height, width and eye-popping depth, but also space and time...you go to see this movie, and like Hotel California, you can never leave...you get trapped inside, and the only escape is death.
ryderup

Xerxex - Alien was his baby 30 years ago. I say. Follow weavers clones return to earth. The planet is fucked and the comapny togeather with the UN is going to the xenomorphs own planet. Introduce Michael Biehn as a soldierclone, there can be plenty of him. And and it with Ripley settling down with him
zubzwank

This has all been said before, but: like others, I was under the impression that the alien derelict could have been there for thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of years, not 2 weeks. How would humans even fit into the story? Are they going to retcon a previous discovery of the ship? So what? I always kind of thought the space jockey was a pilot who was a chestburster victim (following the "burst", the ship crashed) like Kane in the movie. In one of the comic series they had him come alive--or his ghost--and lead the aliens back to earth.??? What kind of dialog would the movie have? The aliens don't do anything but hiss.
bozo

If the "Space Jockey"('s) speaks English - I may walk out. Also, I hope they leave the humans/Earth completely out of this one. They've fucked up some pretty good Alien flicks in the past.
http://www.daequitas.deviantart.com Burak "D'aequitas"

somehow i am not that hyped with the Aliens prequel... it may have something to do with the failed AvP and AvP II we all can see Hollywood ahs gone in to a writers and directors Block no new, original concept can be produced anymore. so all they have left with is "hey there was a great movie 400 years ago. lets remake/film a sequel/a prequel to it and f.ck it up" who cares about the original masterpiece's die hard followers heartbreaks seeing their loved films, childhood dreams, heroes, scenes, one by one destroyed with bad research, bad directing, bad production, bad technology, over use of bad technology, over use of good technology, and yes forced, unnecessary use of 3D tehnology. this may not be a remake. its a prequel but it walks on the same thin ice... Hollywoo shouldnt worry about films to make them big money.. they should focus on doing great movies.. money will follow if they do a great movie.. why dont they just accept this simple fact. i will have to wait for future intel to speak specifically on the prequel.. but thats how i feel about the remakes, sequels and prequels..and you may not care for my thoughts either cheers
Neilsteel

Sounds interesting but I'm sure there's flaw in the story already! I'm sure in Cameron's ALIENS - Ripley confronts Carter Burke about sending the people out to the derelict ship without warning them of the danger and the date she says is 2078!!!