Carey Mulligan and Noomi Rapace In Talks for "Alien" Prequel

[JamesG]

Exclusive: Tony Scott Confirms Carl Rinsch is Directing ALIEN. And it’s a PREQUEL!
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub
Posted:May 29th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

A few days ago, Bloody-Disgusting reported that 20th century Fox was going to remake “Alien” and director Carl Rinsch would be helming the movie. Immediately fandom exploded with venom. I think one of the main reasons is that the original is a classic, and 20th Century Fox hasn’t been making films of that caliber recently.

So at today’s junket for Tony Scott’s new film “The Taking of Pelham 123″, I went up Tony after the press conference ended to ask him what was up with the remake.

The big news is he confirmed Carl Rinsch would be directing it and that it’s a prequel to his brother Ridley’s classic!

What Tony told me is after the jump:


Collider: 20th Century Fox is talking about remaking or redoing the original Alien. What’s going on with that?

Tony Scott: Yes, Carl Rinsch is going to do the prequel to Alien. He’s one of our directors at our company.



Collider: I’m going to be blunt about this. Fox has not been doing a great job recently with their movies. They haven’t been an artist friendly studio. Are you guys going to have some creative control and make this a kick-ass film?

Tony: Yes! But Fox is our home. They finace our production company.



Collider: And I’m very happy that you guys have the financing. But a lot of the films they’ve been doing at the studio level, they’ve been nickel and diming and not giving fandom what they want. So I guess my question for you is…are you a little nervous about reengaging the franchise or are you excited.

Tony: I’m excited cause Ridley created the original and Carl Rinsch is one of the family.



Collider: When do you envision this film getting in front of cameras?

Tony: Hopefully the end of the year.



Collider: Will it be a summer of 2011 movie?

Tony: Honestly, I don’t know.


While I wish I could give you more info, I only had moments to talk with him. Look for more “Alien” info as I get it.

http://www.collider.com/2009/05/29/exclusive-tony-scott-confirms-carl-rinsch-is-directing-alien-and-its-a-prequel/

[comedyfreak]

Wonder if Sigourney will be involved somehow.

[JamesG]

Wonder if Sigourney will be involved somehow.

We'll see at some point. Too early to say anything now.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[JamesG]

Ridley Scott Returns to Direct Alien Prequel!!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
By: MrDisgusting

Remake, reboot? Think none of it. 20th Century Fox is proving that they're producing an honest-to-God prequel to Alien by tapping Ridley Scott to direct.

Scott directed the groundbreaking 1979 sci-fi horror movie that proclaimed "In space no one can hear you scream." It spawned three sequels and two spin-offs. If there's one way to win over the fans, it's to bring the original helmer back onboard with his blessings.

Read on for the amazing news. Could this be the start of something new at Fox? Can we start praying now?



Twentieth Century Fox is resuscitating its Alien franchise. The studio has hired Jon Spaihts to write a prequel that has Ridley Scott attached to return as director.

Spaihts got the job after pitching the studio and Scott Free, which will produce the film.

The film is set up to be a prequel to the groundbreaking 1979 film that Scott directed. It will precede that film, in which the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. The crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them.


The deal gives Fox another chance to keep the Alien franchise alive. There were three sequels to Scott's original, but it is the first time the director has set his mind on directing one.

Spaihts has become a go-to-guy for space thrillers. After Keanu Reeves became attached to his Warner Bros. sci-fi script Shadow 19, Reeves hired Spaihts to write the space journey epic Passengers, which is berthed at Morgan Creek. That script got Spaihts the meeting with Fox and Scott Free, and he won the job with an Alien reboot take that the studio and Scott loved.

Fox has separately hired him to rewrite The Darkest Hour, which Timur Bekmambetov to produce with Tom Jacobson. Spaihts is writing Children of Mars for Disney and Scott Rudin, and he will follow by rewriting St. George and the Dragon for Sony and Red Wagon.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16935

[JamesG]

Wonder if Sigourney will be involved somehow.

Don't know if you noticed but a short time ago she mentioned that she will not be returning to this one.

[JamesG]

Ridley Scott Talks Alien Prequel and Timeline
Thursday, October 29, 2009
By: MrDisgusting

During a new interview with UK Magazine Empire, Ridley Scott talked a bit about the forthcoming Alien prequel being developed over at 20th Century Fox.

“It’s a brand new box of tricks,” said Scott.

“We know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It’s very difficult to put a year on "Alien", but [for example] if "Alien" was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior.”


The film is set up to be a prequel to the groundbreaking 1979 film that Scott directed. It will precede that film, in which the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planetoid.

The crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17890

[JamesG]

The Alien Prequel Will Be In 3D
Source: Shadow Locked
March 5, 2010


Shadow Locked conducted an interview with art-director Roger Christian who let the following interesting tid-bit slip.

"Ridley's doing the next Alien in 3D," said Christian.



Ridley Scott is set to return to the franchise for a prequel to his film which initially kicked off the series in the first place. Jon Spaihts is penning the script.

"He has a very clear understanding of where this should go," Christian said of Ridley.

"They kind of stopped dead one of the greatest horror franchises there's ever been, and it had legs to go on. So I'm hoping he'll revive another three. The world certainly wants it, and the fans want it - everybody."



Roger Christians new book Cinema Alchemy is due out later this year.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=14367

[JamesG]

Ridley Scott Reveals Massive Details on Alien Prequel
Thursday, April 22, 2010
By: MrDisgusting


Get ready for a ton of Alien prequel talk as Director Ridley Scott is beginning to do press for his forthcoming Robin Hood. With Sherwood forest a thing of the past, Scott can now focus his energy on telling the earlier story of Alien, and how Ripley ended up with the worst life I can possibly imagine.

MTV caught up with Scott - who also directed the original groundbreaking 1979 film - who revealed a TON of information about the forthcoming prequel.


Kicking off this massive conversation, Ridley Scott explains the status of the Alien prequel.






"As we speak, I've got a pile of pages next to me; it's like the fourth draft," he tells MTV.

"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, build it up to something we can shoot. It's a work in progress, but we're actually making the film. There's no question about it, we're going to make the film."





Continuing on about the plot, Ridley reveals that it's set in 2085 (the past) and that Weyland is still around attempting to get man to settle on other planets.

"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?"



He continues, "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.

"It's Weyland. Weyland hasn't joined Yutani yet, so they go and see Weyland. The film is about the discussion of terraforming — taking planets and planetoids and balls of earth and trying to terraform, seed them with the possibilities of future life."










MTV asks the silly question about if Sigourney Weaver will take part to which Scott replies, "It will be before she was born!" Hello, McFly!


But he does reveal that the lead will once again be strong female character.

"The main character [in the prequel] will be a woman, yeah. We're thinking it could go down that route, yeah. When I started the original "Alien," Ripley wasn't a woman, it was a guy. During casting, we thought, "Why don't we make it a woman?""





Something I found really interesting was what Scott said about the design of the Alien creature. Apparently, he'll be thinking backwards.

"Yeah, the thing about "Alien vs. Predator" is, I know it's commerce, but what a pity. I think, therefore, I have to design — or redesign — earlier versions of what these elements are that led to the thing you finally see in "Alien," which is the thing that catapults out of the egg, the face-hugger."






Even better, Scott may reteam with original designer (and mad genius) H.R. Giger.

"Yeah, he's (Giger) still around. 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."






So when will we see this puppy?

"We're hoping to have it in theaters in late 2011, or maybe the best date in 2012."

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19938

[JamesG]

First of Two(!) Alien Prequels Will in Fact Be 3-D
Monday, April 26, 2010
By: MrDisgusting


A quick news brief to go along with the massive Alien prequel report posted here last week.


Website Collider caught up with Ridley Scott at a recent junket for Robin Hood where he revealed that the forthcoming prequel will in fact be in 3D. "Of course, it’ll be 3D," he stated also declaring that he doesn't see a difference between shooting in 3-D and post-converting (something I find very concerning).


On another note, while Scott is already taking a trip back to the franchise he created back in '79, he's looking to do it more than once!

"It’ll be two. It’ll be prequel one and two. Then "Alien 1"," he tells the site explaining right now he's focused on the first.



Jon Spaihts has been working on a screenplay for 20th Century Fox.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19959

[JamesG]

Ridley Scott on His TWO Alien Prequels
by Joseph McCabe
Sun., Jun. 13, 2010


I just got back from the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival, where Sir Ridley Scott spoke between screenings of his genre classics Alien and Blade Runner.

The director had a few words to say about his upcoming return to the franchise he created, with the 3-D Alien prequel -- or rather, prequels. Scott explained why there will be two of them; and that writing on the the first of the two has been completed.





"I watched the franchise zip along for the next twenty, thirty years. I let it go, because 'Blade Runner' followed," Scott told a packed house at the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood.

"I started thinking about the franchise, which now has died on the road somewhere. I thought, 'What I should do is go back and…' In the first 'Alien' when John Hurt climbed up, looked over the horizon and said the immortal lines, 'Good God, what is this?' what we saw was appropriate for 'Good God,' because it was a massive giant lying in a chair, and the chair was either a form of engine or some future technology.

I always thought, 'Nobody's asked, "Who is the giant?"' He's come to be called 'the space jockey.' I thought, 'Who the hell is the space jockey?' And so it's written and I'm prepping it now."







Scott explained his reasoning behind developing two prequels, which will take place long before the first Alien:

"If you explain who he was and where he came from, then that will deal with the savagery of this version, which will be pretty savage. Then you may want to find out where they came from, the place where his people come from."






As far as the prequels' stories go, Scott hinted that there will be a deeper exploration of the science behind the world of Alien, a science he says is very much grounded in our own current technology.

"The first 'Alien' was honestly The Old Dark House -- seven people in the old dark house with a visitor. This will go further into the world of terraforming. We're thinking about doing it.

In fact, if Kennedy had been allowed to continue his space program, we'd probably be on Mars now with a population of nine-thousand people. That's how far we should have gone."

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b19326_ridley_scott_on_his_two_alien_prequels.html

[JamesG]

Ridley Scott Already Hunting Strong Female Lead for Alien?
Monday, September 6, 2010
By: MrDisgusting


According to the Playlist (via the Sunday Times), The Disappearance of Alice Creed's starlet Gemma Arterton is meeting with Scott.

"Ridley Scott saw 'Alice Creed' and loved it. He wants me to meet for Aliens: The Remake, or something," Arterton told the paper.




Obviously, this is quite early in the casting process and nothing is official until the name is on the dotted line.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/21566

[JamesG]

Alien Prequel About to Implode? Ridley Scott Off His Rocker?
Friday, October 1, 2010
By: MrDisgusting


Those of you looking forward to Ridley Scott's return to space with his currently in development Alien prequel, prepare for some heft disappointment.

According to Script Flags Scott is at odds with 20th Century Fox, the major studios behind the project over budgetary and creative differences.





It would seem Scott wants a budget of around $250m to make it a sci-fi spectacular and is also pushing for an 18-rated level of violence and horror.

Fox, however, don't plan on investing anywhere near that sum, and are keen to get a 15 rating to maximize the audience appeal.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/21884

[JamesG]

Alien Prequel Now Casting, Two Potential Female Leads!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
By: MrDisgusting


While there were reports that Twentieth Century Fox and director Ridley Scott were at odds over rating and budget for his Alien prequel, it still appears the studios is pushing the rejuvenated franchise into casting.



Deadline reports that the studio and Scott have had general meetings with a number of actresses, with the list including the studio's Wall Street 2 star Carey Mulligan, but another intriguing possibility is that Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) also met and left a strong impression.

The actress met Scott and Fox before she signed on to star in the Sherlock Holmes sequel.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/21964