Sadly, the list of high-profile projects almost made by Neill Blomkamp is starting to rival the list of high-profile projects he’s actually made. At one point or another, Blomkamp was attached to films such as “Halo,” an “Alien” sequel, a “RoboCop” reboot, and more. However, for whatever reason, those films never got made. And according to Blomkamp, though he’s sad those projects never moved forward, there’s a simple reason why he’s avoided the Hollywood studio system for so long—he’s too much of an artist.
In a recent article from Empire Magazine (via MovieWeb), Neill Blomkamp talked about his missed opportunities to make big films for Hollywood studios, and the fact that the loss of his much-hyped “Alien” sequel hit him hardest. Why didn’t it get made and why has Blomkamp escaped the Hollywood studio system? Well, the filmmaker said it’s his desire to remain an auteur that has prevented him from being a big-time studio director.
READ MORE: Neill Blomkamp Probably Wouldn’t Return To Make His ‘Alien 5’
“The stuff that’s hit me the hardest in my own career are the projects that didn’t get made – ‘Alien,’ predominantly,” he explained. “[I could have kept working within the US film system] if I was more of a McDonald’s, Burger King-type studio-lackey director that makes one film every year or every 1.5 years… Naturally, I’m an artist who doesn’t play the Hollywood game. When I left, I thought about things and came back with a different point of view about how I’m going to approach Hollywood.”
It’s interesting that Blomkamp specifically mentioned his “Alien” sequel. Of his almost-made projects, that is the one that does seem to have gone the farthest into development. The idea, as far as we know, started back in 2015 with Blomkamp coming aboard to make a true sequel in the “Alien” franchise, the fifth film in the series. However, even though production seemed on track to begin in 2016, the film was mysteriously shelved, and the filmmaker remained mum on the details. He even had Sigourney Weaver on board to star.
At this point, the “Alien” franchise has moved on from Blomkamp. Fox was bought by Disney in 2018. Now, Noah Hawley is working on an ‘Alien’ series for FX, and Fede Alvarez is in post-production on a new ‘Alien’ sequel. Neither of those projects have a release date.
