There are few films as perfectly formed as “Alien.” When the movie arrived in 1979, it announced that in space, no one can hear you scream, and it unraveled with great precision and terror, the story of the crew on a merchant vessel who are picked off by an alien. That’s it. We didn’t know the history of the creature or why it was a ruthless killing machine. It didn’t matter, and because we knew so little, it made the film that much more heart-pounding.
However, director Ridley Scott has spent the last few years trying desperately to (re)franchise the property with prequels, giving audiences an often ludicrous preface to “Alien” that we simply don’t need. Whether or not 20th Century Fox allows him to continue following the box office disappointment of “Alien: Covenant” ($232 million worldwide versus $403 million worldwide for “Prometheus“) remains to be seen. That said, “Alien” is a valuable brand, and Scott may have the pitch that’ll keep executives interested, and fans holding their heads.
In a new interview, Scott is asked about using CG technology to bring a younger version of Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley into the prequels. The director answers that, essentially, we might not see Ripley, but we might get a pretty eye-rolling family connection.
“We’re heading toward the back end of the first ‘Alien’ so [using CG] may be feasible. I don’t think it’ll… but Ripley’s going to be somebody’s daughter. Obviously. We’re coming in from the back end. The time constraints, of what’s the time between this film, where we leave David going off heading for that colony, I think you’re probably two films out from even considering her,” Scott explained.
If you’ll recall, Katherine Waterston‘s Daniels from “Alien: Covenant” has long been rumored to be Ripley’s mother, something the actress hasn’t quite denied. Whether that’s true or not, giving Ripley an extended family connection to the series seems forced at best, and wholly misguided at worst. And if you’re wondering why Scott is doing this, the answer is shockingly clear.
“George Lucas. You know, and the way he’s handled ‘Star Wars‘ has been spectacular. It’s what I’ve been trying to do, to really evolve ‘Alien,’ because in those days I wasn’t into making sequels, but now suddenly you realize, ‘Well, that’s stupid,’ ” the director said last month.
The only legacy Scott is concerned about is how “Alien” can live as a franchise, and bringing in more Ripley family members accomplishes that goal. Thoughts about all this? Leave ’em in the comments section. [via io9]
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