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Damon Lindelof Discusses 'Prometheus' & 'Alien' Universe Connection

by Alex Billington
June 28, 2011
Source: APN, SlashFilm

It looks like someone has finally spilled the beans and revealed that Ridley Scott's new sci-fi Prometheus, currently shooting, is indeed a part of the Alien universe. But how exactly? Well, it's complicated. It was writer Damon Lindelof ("Lost", Cowboys & Aliens), who took over writing duties on the script last year, that revealed the information in an interview he did on the Kevin Pollak Chat Show recently. But it's quite a long answer. You see, Prometheus is still a prequel, but not really connected, as he explains. This is kind of exciting to hear, especially in lieu of Comic-Con coming up, where we've heard there might be a first reveal.

Let's get into it, because he answers the question in detail, and it's best to just read the entire thing. Most of these quotes come from AlienPrequelNews.com and SlashFilm, and you can watch the entire interview with Lindelof right here if you wish. Lindelof was asked if Prometheus is or isn't a prequel to Alien after all:

"Or is it? I think should be the tag line as opposed to 'In space nobody can hear you scream', it should be 'Prometheus: …or is it?'" (laughs)

"It started as an Alien prequel as that's what everybody wanted it to be. Obviously Ridley Scott hasn't made a science fiction movie in 25 years since Blade Runner, so the idea that he's returning to this genre is huge.

But there's a real issue which is what is the state of the Alien franchise at this point in our lives? Now it's Alien versus Predator and all these things and it's been completely and totally diluted."

"I've always felt really good prequels should be original movies. And the sequel to those prequels should not be the movie that already exists. Because, all due respect to anybody who makes a prequel, why would you ruin the greatest twist in the history of movie cinema? 'Luke I am your father'… By showing me three movies (Star Wars prequels) that basically spoil that surprise. You could do movies that take place before Star Wars, but I don't need to see the story of the Skywalker clan. Show me something else that I can't guess the possible outcome of. There's no suspense and inevitability."

"So a true prequel should essentially precede the incidents of the original film, but be about something entirely different, feature different characters, have an entirely different theme although it takes place in that same world. That was my fundamental feeling about what this movie wanted to be."

"And truth be told, it wasn't script doctoring in the strictest sense because the draft that existed before I came on was written by this guy named Jon Spaihts, who is very good! And there are a lot of things in Prometheus that were hatched by Jon Spaihts and that were written by Jon Spaihts. And I feel like somewhere in the media reconstruction of this story, the tale is I come in and pitch an entirely new movie and it's so original that everything else gets thrown out and THAT's what we're doing. In my brain that's not exactly what happened."

"But I also do feel that this is the movie that I would want to see as a fanboy take place in that Alien universe that precedes the events of the original Alien, but is not necessarily burdened by tropes of that franchise with facehuggers and chestbursters and all that stuff that I love. But we've seen it before, so can I do something different this time.

And that's the movie that Ridley wanted to make."

There's a lot of information in there, and it's honestly still very vague since we have no idea what exactly Prometheus is about, but what it sounds like is what I expected all along - it's set in the Alien universe, and there may be a few xenomorphs seen around somewhere, but it's not really an Alien prequel in the sense that it connects with Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien. But, it still sounds awesome because I trust in Lindelof, and he really makes it sounds like it's going to satisfy fans in the best way possible. Plus, we know that Ridley hinted we would also maybe find out about the Space Jockey, so there's a lot from that sci-fi universe that may all tie in. I really can't wait to finally see something from this - hopefully at Comic-Con next month!

To leave you with one more juicy quote from Lindelof that should keep fans of Aliens relieved (for the time being) and excited, here's what he says we can expect out of Prometheus in the end: "All I can say is it's exactly the movie I would want to see as a fanboy, for Ridley Scott to come back to that Alien world. And so what you just said would be under that heading. Yes… unsettling. And unsettling is different than horror."

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