Neill Blomkamp's Alien Sequel Concept

Duggy747 · 11-02-2015 1:33am #1

By now, I'm sure many of you saw the concept art Blomkamp posted up last month that seemed to show ideas that would reverse some (if not all) of what happened in Alien 3 / Resurrection and have Micheal Biehn return to the universe.

Blomkamp recently talked about the movie concept and explains how this all came about during production of Chappie with conversations with Sigourney Weaver

Speaking to Sigourney Weaver, when we were doing Chappie, she set off a bunch of thoughts in my head — I had come up with an idea that didn’t have Sigourney, it was a different idea. But I spent all of the shooting time with her, it was like, holy ****, that could actually be really interesting. When I came back to Vancouver, I had an entire year to work on Chappie. And when I wasn’t needed in the edit, I could think about Alien. So, I basically developed an entire movie and I did all of this artwork as well.

He got some people to help with the artwork and concepts during post-production of Chappie, something to help focus on when he would take a break from that film.

He also mentions how Fox are willing to follow up on his concept but the reluctance is on his part of hopping into a franchise movie (and their history of treating the franchise I imagine):

Me. I’m the problem. Fox, they would make it. Like, tomorrow. They would make it.

Success of Chappie might have a big hand to play in how this one turns out.

On top of bringing Hicks back, I love some of the more out there bits in the artwork like the jockey suit Ripley is wearing or that melting goo person Ripley seem to be a bit ranked out by. Even if nothing comes of this I always find movie concepts fascinating.

Adamantium · 11-02-2015 2:17am

Goldstein · 11-02-2015 11:07am

Now that would likely be something worthy of the franchise to rinse our mouths of the taste of stupid left by Lindelol and Prometheus.

FortuneChip · 11-02-2015 11:19am

Love Blomkamps style. The combination of hi-tech weapons in undeveloped areas always looks real without losing the awe. Seems to take a very practical approach And it pays dividend.

Also, Biehn!

GAAman · 11-02-2015 11:19am

Hmmm so Hicks survived and Ripley didn't go through the events of Alien 3. That's a totally new concept *Cough, Dark Horse Comics* :pac:

In all seriousness, I want to see this.

pixelburp · 11-02-2015 11:47am

As enticing as that concept art looks, I couldn't imagine Blomkamp getting full, unfettered control over the project; the Alien franchise is a money-spinner and whatever impact the xenomorphs as a concept might have once had, it's long dead now. The xenomorphs are video-games, toys, godawful crossover films. The idea's too big now, and I couldn't believe Fox would allow anyone tinker with the formula too much.

TheDoc · 11-02-2015 3:14pm

PRetty sure the first time I saw Aliens 3 I immediately disregarded it because of Hicks being dead. Took a good few re-watches for me to take it on it's own merits

Anything with Michael Biehn in it has my serious approval

happysunnydays · 11-02-2015 3:32pm

And so the one trick pony rides into town.....silver pistols at the ready, that shiny new fandangled concept art from his bestest drawing buddies ready to wow the townsfolk. But those weary 80's Alien franchise fans are growning long in the tooth now and their familiar with these hack attacks from them far off hills.
Here he comes they say, the new kid on the block, the flavour of the month, two notches on his belt and he think he's the hot shot worthy of something greater. Mech, robots, trash, I got the look he chirps.... b ut have you got the substance? they reply. Let's get a look at this chappie first......nah we've seen enough, let's read a review, save the pennies for the real thing. Yup, back to the hills buddy n take your rust and dsytopia with ya.

Frank Bullitt · 11-02-2015 7:27pm

Saw these a while back and was blown away by them.

I think his style would bring something much needed to the Alien universe. Its been somewhat corrupted by those awful AVP movies, and is due some TLC I think.

I would love for him to do this.

feelgoodinc27 · 11-02-2015 11:18pm

Gintonious wrote: »

Its been somewhat corrupted by those awful AVP movies, and is due some TLC I think.

James Cameron was working on an another Alien movie, but gave up on it cause of AvP.

ScrubsfanChris · 12-02-2015 3:13am

TheDoc wrote: »

PRetty sure the first time I saw Aliens 3 I immediately disregarded it because of Hicks being dead. Took a good few re-watches for me to take it on it's own merits

Anything with Michael Biehn in it has my serious approval

For me, this movie can never be forgiven for killing Newt "off screen" or at all.

Fuzzytrooper · 12-02-2015 2:59pm

As far as I know, Aliens Colonial Marines the game is considered cannon. Hicks is alive and well in that.

e_e · 12-02-2015 4:23pm

They should make it under the restriction that Blomkamp's not allowed to use any shakycam. That's the **** that drove me crazy in Elysium.

Duggy747 · 12-02-2015 4:50pm

"Git awah from 'er, yoo fookin zenomorph!"

conorhal · 12-02-2015 5:14pm

I reminds me a bit of the Mark Verheiden written Dark Horse Comic's Aliens series. So much so that perhaps the producers might want to give those early issues a look. They featured a gruesomely scarred, alcoholic Hicks and an understandably 'effed up Newt brought together circumstance (the discovery of an Alien hive world) and their desire to find out what happened to the missing Ellen Ripley.

The early comics were ten times better then most of the sequels, Verheiden also went on to write and produce quite a lot of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica series which I'd rate pretty highly as one of the best written sci-fi series ever produced.

Outkast_IRE · 12-02-2015 7:13pm

Interesting concept indeed.

If there was a current director who could do this some justice i think he is the one.

Will follow this will anticipation.

Outkast_IRE · 12-02-2015 9:28pm

pixelburp wrote: »

As enticing as that concept art looks, I couldn't imagine Blomkamp getting full, unfettered control over the project; the Alien franchise is a money-spinner and whatever impact the xenomorphs as a concept might have once had, it's long dead now. The xenomorphs are video-games, toys, godawful crossover films. The idea's too big now, and I couldn't believe Fox would allow anyone tinker with the formula too much.

I think Fox are in a stronger position that they have been in years, the Alien Isolation game, was critically very well received, was lauded by the fans & has finally delivered something worthy of the Series. Its won and is nominated for a shed load of video game awards.

For the first time in a long time there is a lot of love out there for "Alien". I think now is the time to strike, with a director who is currently very much in form and renowned for his sci-fi work. There will be alot of people rooting for this movie.

I think generally the studio wont need to meddle with this director as traditionally he has shown all the right attributes for this type of work.

marathont · 12-02-2015 10:26pm

As long as there is no south African accents.

Hande hoche! · 13-02-2015 9:22pm

marathont wrote: »

As long as there is no south African accents.

South African space marines?

Bipolar Joe · 13-02-2015 11:04pm

As a movie franchise, it would be hard to fuck up Alien worse than it has been already. Getting a pseudo reboot is the only way to make more. We can all pretend some of them never existed.

happysunnydays · 13-02-2015 11:44pm

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

some of them never existed.

.....as far as I'm aware, there was Alien then Aliens and I now wait near 3 decades for a sequel to that.

Adamantium · 14-02-2015 6:29am

I think David Fincher should the sequel to Aliens.

LOL

Jon Stark · 14-02-2015 9:54am

What would this be so? A soft reboot?

Even with soft reboots (i.e. Terminator Salvation) the entire cast is generally changed, which would not be the case here.

Basically you'd have an unprecedented situation where Fox would basically have to say: hey, remember Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection? Well don't. :pac:

I suppose they could spin it as an alternate reality where everything beyond Alien 2 didn't happen.

Bipolar Joe · 15-02-2015 3:42am

Everything after Aliens was Ripley's hypersleep dream, including the Predator stuff.

geraardo · 15-02-2015 4:01pm

I really hope this goes ahead,the concept art looks amazing and bringing Hicks back is a brilliant move.
Im going to watch ALIENS now.

Mr.Buzz · 15-02-2015 5:20pm

I read somewhere that Sigourney Weaver backed his ideas... who knows, we might see some sort of reboot with his ideas implemented.

Jon Stark · 15-02-2015 7:21pm

Even if there's a recon where Alien 3 and 4 didn't happen how do you explain both Ripley and Hicks being 50 odd?

Talisman · 15-02-2015 7:34pm

From what I read Sigourney Weaver had a big hand in rewrites of the scripts for Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. Joss Whedon said that she wanted the ending of Resurrection rewritten so that Ripley transformed into a Xenomorph - looking at some of the concept art, that angle is possibly being explored. I don't see an endorsement by her being a good thing in the eyes of the studio.

Jon Stark · 15-02-2015 7:51pm

Talisman wrote: »

From what I read Sigourney Weaver had a big hand in rewrites of the scripts for Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. Joss Whedon said that she wanted the ending of Resurrection rewritten so that Ripley transformed into a Xenomorph - looking at some of the concept art, that angle is possibly being explored. I don't see an endorsement by her being a good thing in the eyes of the studio.

Not surprised that Whedon went against that. I'm a major Buffy fan but I know how the guy is, he probably saw Ripley turning into a Xenomorph as the antithesis to what he likes; strong women prevailing. It hinders his storytelling, tbh the idea of Ripley being infected fully ala district 9 sounds intriguing.

Outkast_IRE · 16-02-2015 2:42pm

Jon Stark wrote: »

Even if there's a recon where Alien 3 and 4 didn't happen how do you explain both Ripley and Hicks being 50 odd?

That they carried on with their lives after the ending of Aliens...... Ripley probably forced into mental institution by the company or something similar.

nobody said this was going to be the events directly after the aliens movie

Mr.Buzz · 16-02-2015 3:25pm

Jon Stark wrote: »

Even if there's a recon where Alien 3 and 4 didn't happen how do you explain both Ripley and Hicks being 50 odd?

Would you, maybe, prefer to see yet another reboot? :pac:

Outkast_IRE · 16-02-2015 5:30pm

Mr.Buzz wrote: »

Would you, maybe, prefer to see yet another reboot? :pac:

Kiera Knightly for the Ripley role and Benidict Cumberbatch for Hicks

kunst nugget · 16-02-2015 5:40pm

Fuzzytrooper wrote: »

As far as I know, Aliens Colonial Marines the game is considered cannon. Hicks is alive and well in that.

Tbf, Colonial Marines is considered a complete and utter joke. It was so bad, it nearly completely killed off Alien as a gaming franchise. How Alien: Isolation managed to get made and was so good is a minor miracle.

Joeface · 16-02-2015 5:48pm

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Kiera Knightly for the Ripley role and Benidict Cumberbatch for Hicks

you just watched Intimation Game.

You could explain the age of the Characters with prolonged Hyper sleep exposure, You are just sleeping , never said you wouldn't age. What was the gap between Alien and Aliens 50 years??? .....make it 200years you could suffer some aging side affects

happysunnydays · 16-02-2015 6:03pm

Jon Stark wrote: »

Even if there's a recon where Alien 3 and 4 didn't happen how do you explain both Ripley and Hicks being 50 odd?

Malfunctioning USS Sulaco with communications failure remains in orbit of LV426,
Weyland Corp: classified USS Sulaco lost in space.
Failure of the cryo chambers after 300 years.
Ripley & crew awaken & abandon ship to return to LV426 to engage food supplies.
Lets pick up the story right here.....30-40 years isolation living with daily battles of radiation, aliens and dwindling food supplies.
New science and troop team arrive at LV426
...........meet our fav. existing hobos.
All hell breaks loose with new more powerful weapons & machinery, kick ass know jack sh*t characters.
@Jon Stork.....Game over man game over!

Outkast_IRE · 16-02-2015 6:06pm

Joeface wrote: »

you just watched Intimation Game.

I watched it a while back.

They were the first people i thought of as completely unsuitable, yet a crap studio exec would prob consider them

SuprSi · 17-02-2015 2:17pm

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Kiera Knightly for the Ripley role and Benidict Cumberbatch for Hicks

I always thought Kiera Knightly looked like a xenomorph. Everytime I see her smile I expect a small Kiera Knightly set of teeth to pop out of her mouth.

Xenomorph

Kiera Knightly

I don't like her and don't want her anywhere near anything Alien-related.

Mickeroo · 17-02-2015 2:26pm

Joeface wrote: »

you just watched Intimation Game.

You could explain the age of the Characters with prolonged Hyper sleep exposure, You are just sleeping , never said you wouldn't age. What was the gap between Alien and Aliens 50 years??? .....make it 200years you could suffer some aging side affects

They did say you wouldn't age or at least age a lot slower, sure Ripley's daughter had died of old age by the time she woke up for the second movie due to hyper sleep. Not aging is kind of the whole point of it due to the distances you would have to travel. Could always say there was some sort of malfunction I suppose though.

Agricola · 17-02-2015 5:28pm

Ripley would have to be played by a very strong woman, someone who you could totally buy into being a complete badass. Like Weaver herself or Linda Hamilton. Keira Knightly.......... no!

Joeface · 17-02-2015 5:42pm

I am not sure you will find a Strong Female actress for the roll. Not been sexist ...ok maybe a little , but Ripley is the best Female character to be ever put in an action / Sci Fi movie and even over a lot of Drama's . I am struggling to even think of anyone that comes close. I read once the roll was been offered to Male leads but Scott changed his mind late on or some bit into the process but didn't bother with full re writes just proceeded with Weaver , And Cameron had just to continue with that character in the sequel.

I actually cannot think of one. Hollywood would just water it down.

maybe maybe Jessica Chastain at a push .

Wedwood · 17-02-2015 11:01pm

It's a neat idea to re-write history and reboot the third Alien movie, probably 20 years too late though. I thought Alien3 was a horrible misfire of a movie that diminished all of the heroics of Aliens by unceremoniously killing them all off.

I almost pretend the Alien3 and Alien Resurrection don't exist and the franchise ends with Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Bishop all getting home safely.

Goldstein · 19-02-2015 2:12am

IT'S ON!!!

:):):):):):):):):):):)

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/411255-neill-blomkamp-is-officially-taking-on-an-alien-sequel

Goldstein · 19-02-2015 2:34am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M

Adamantium · 19-02-2015 2:51am

Please get Michael Biehn.
Please don't be like Elysium.
Please be like District 9.
Please have the balls to retcon the series after Aliens, make this a straight sequel.
Please remember Alien Isolation exists.

David Fincher would jump and down about the idea of Alien 3 being taken out of official canon.
The original plan was to base Alien 3 on the comic book series Aliens: Outbreak in which Earth was overrun. Dark Horse got the comic license from Fox after Aliens and the go-ahead to pick up the story from there. I much prefer their version set years later with Newt institutionalized and Hicks becoming a shunned alcoholic before all hell breaks loose. Finding out Newt and Hicks dead off screen in the first five minutes was the worst thing to happen to Alien 3

Misleading as hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_x9W1xKng

gazzamc · 19-02-2015 2:54am

I can't wait for this

johnny_ultimate · 19-02-2015 3:12am

Hopefully it won't fall into the same category of 'almost, but not quite' as everything else Blomkamp has done so far! *runs away*

Goldstein · 19-02-2015 3:25am

Watch and learn Lindelof, watch and learn :P

pixelburp · 19-02-2015 8:48am

Wow, I genuinely didn't think this would happen, though I'm guessing the leaking of the concept art was ultimately a deliberate attempt to test the waters.

Still not convinced a good Xenomorph film can happen anymore, or even that'll be allowed to happen by a studio chasing its demographics, but Blonkamp certainly has the aesthetic chops to pull off the world building...

Bacchus · 19-02-2015 10:29am

pixelburp wrote: »

Wow, I genuinely didn't think this would happen, though I'm guessing the leaking of the concept art was ultimately a deliberate attempt to test the waters.

Still not convinced a good Xenomorph film can happen anymore, or even that'll be allowed to happen by a studio chasing its demographics, but Blonkamp certainly has the aesthetic chops to pull off the world building...

The bit in bold is what will decide how good this is. Blomkamp has shown that he is very capable at creating interesting worlds and telling good sci-fi. I don't he's shown the horror/terror side of things though to date but I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. It's really down to how much the studio influence the rating that will make or break this.

Another question is, which way will they go? Will they go for the terror and isolation of Alien or the balls to wall action of Aliens? Or something completely different. I'm not sure I like the idea of bringing it to Earth, we've seen that in the AvP movies and they were disasters (granted, they were disasters for many reasons besides the setting but still...). The Alien movies weren't just about the fear of this creature, it was also the vulnerable setting of space (or an inhospitable planet) that just heightened it all.

Duggy747 · 19-02-2015 10:31am

Was not expecting this, at least not this early. I figured the concept art was to use public and news reactions as a kind of leverage for himself.

To me the Alien franchise is in a shambles from Resurrection to the AVP films and Prometheus being a letdown so this can't really do any more damage to the franchise. Getting Hicks back already wins it browny points in interest for many people.

I'm just happy an Alien film is going to be directed by someone who has a passion for the universe and developed a treatment for it rather than someone like a relative unknown just taking on the job.

I hope Chappie does well for his sake now :pac:

TheDoc · 19-02-2015 10:55am

This has brought me great joy this morning.

Neill Blomkamp's Alien Sequel Concept

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