RIDLEY THE ALIEN AWAKENS...
Scott Explains All His “Alien” Prequel Plans
The other week filmmaker Ridley Scott gave a quote discussing the future of the “Alien” franchise that surprised quite a few people.
Back in the days of “Prometheus,” Scott had talked about a sequel titled “Paradise” which would step even further away from the “Alien” franchise hallmarks. After “Prometheus” was met with a bit of a wet reception, those plans changed to a ‘trilogy’ of films leading into “Alien” – one with more direct ties into his iconic 1979 film.
What wasn’t clear was if “Prometheus” was the first of this trilogy, or if it began with the follow-up “Alien: Covenant” which hits screens this May. Either way though it looked like we were effectively getting at least three, if not four “Alien” films assuming they were profitable for Fox.
Then came comments the other week in which Scott hinted at potentially
SIX films leading into “Alien”. At least that was the story that people ran with, even though the quote wasn’t exactly a confirmation of that – it actually sounded almost a jestful boast.
Now new quotes from Scott given to
Fandango have appeared. Scott and actors Katherine Waterston and Danny McBride all showed up at the SXSW Film Festival for a screening of footage from ‘Covenant’ and spoke with the outlet about the franchise’s future.
Scott
confirmed that ‘Covenant’ separates itself from “Prometheus” by: “beginning to answer the who and why,” and confirmed that Noomi Rapace’s
Elizabeth Shaw from “Prometheus” returns, though: “not fully, but in a way…She was integral to what David carried out later.” Waterston effectively chimed him in to stop him from revealing more.
He then said the next “Alien” film is already written and was asked how many are in the works now: “There will be another one before we kind of literally and logically, clockwise, back into the rear back head of [the original] Alien.”
Here’s where things start getting head scratching. He was asked what the timeline was for the franchise – is it Prometheus, Covenant, this next film, and then Alien? He responded with not only a potential title but an unexpected ordering:
“It will go Prometheus, Awakening, Covenant.. fairly integral where this colonization ship is on the way….”
That’s when Waterston cut in again to stop Scott from spoiling any more information. Scott did add: “If this is successful, and then the next one, and then there will
definitely be three more.”
That suggests
two trilogies – the first being Prometheus, Covenant and Awakening with the latter coming either between or after the events of Covenant.
Scott was also asked if this means that second trilogy he suggested could take place after the events of the original “Alien” and before or after the various sequels. He reportedly replied ‘no,’ saying it won’t take place after “Alien” as other movies have already been there.