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March 28, 2024, 07:44:02 PM

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Prometheus

Started by mobias, August 06, 2011, 10:56:31 AM

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mobias

Has anyone else here been following this? What started off as an Alien prequel has now turned into something quite different. Its apparently set in the same Alien universe but is set to follow a completely different narrative path. I've got reasonably high hopes for it. Damon Lindelhof has written it and Ridley Scott is back directing. Perhaps most importantly though H.R Giger is doing the creature designs.
There's been a lot of talk about Fox's insistence that its a PG-13 but that's not really the case apparently. Ridley Scott himself has stated that he's going to shoot an R rated movie and its possible Fox will release a PG-13 version of it for the Alien versus Predator kiddie crowd. Sounds like a crap idea but then again people have also said that if the original Alien were released today then it get a much lower rating than it did in 1978. Hardened sensibilities these days I guess...

These leaked images shown at Comic-con do remind you of the original Alien.http://www.prometheus-movie.com/news/40

wheatgod


NoSleep

Neither HR Giger or Ron Cobb credited on IMDB.

sirhenry

nor Moebius (Jean Giraud).

NoSleep

I knew there was a third!


Feralkid

Not sure how the revised script will work by the original pre-Lindehoff version of the screenplay was leaked a while ago.   It was awful, given that and Scott's dreadful track record over the last 20 years I think it wise to have the lowest of expectations.

Cohaagen

Quote from: Feralkid on August 07, 2011, 10:47:06 AM
Not sure how the revised script will work by the original pre-Lindehoff version of the screenplay was leaked a while ago.   It was awful, given that and Scott's dreadful track record over the last 20 years I think it wise to have the lowest of expectations.

If you're referring to the putative Jon Spaihts script that took the form of a dodgy 120p fanfic-level gay fantasy featuring rape through Space Jockey mind control, inter-species "grunt" bumming, and ant-sized Giger aliens...it's been confirmed by him as a hoax.

Looking through the screenshots it's clear the production work is fantastic, keeping a real continuity with the first film. The Alien films have always established their canon and mythology through art and production design - one of the smartest things about Aliens is how through the design of the sets, spaceships, costumes and props Cameron instantly lets you know you're in the same universe seen in the first movie. It's that very aspect which Resurrection fucked up so badly.

That said, I unfortunately have to agree with your assesment. Alien is, hands down, my favourite film of all time, and I would be amazed and delighted if we got a hard-nosed, literate, stripped-down script as free from exposition and waffle as its final draft was. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone knows how to write well for genre pictures any more. Damon Lindelof is a product of the JJ Abrams vats, and frankly I'd only feel comfortable with him being on the set of an Alien film if he was pushing the tea and Jaffa Cake trolley.

I mean, look at Star Trek. Jesus! It's so obvious that they were desperate to nail a Wrath Of Khan-style revenge story, but the first time Bana appears on the viewscreen he looks like a pissed Mike Tyson making a drunken video call on Skype. I think he even says "hayeeeee".

mobias

Quote from: Feralkid on August 07, 2011, 10:47:06 AM
Not sure how the revised script will work by the original pre-Lindehoff version of the screenplay was leaked a while ago.   It was awful, given that and Scott's dreadful track record over the last 20 years I think it wise to have the lowest of expectations.

If you're talking about the Alien Harvest script then both Lindelhof and Jon Spaihts uttery deny all knowledge of it http://www.alienprequelnews.com/

I've got faith in Prometheus because Damon Lindelhof is a good and intelligent writer. I'd agree that a certain degree of caution is advised given Ridley Scott's recent track record but even then Ridley Scott is one of those directors who gives you well directed crap movies. Hopefully with a good script and concept the movie might just be pretty good.

According to Damon Lindelhof Jon Spaihts original script and story was actually really good but it was definitely an Alien prequel and so was a slave to the events that lead up to Alien. Apparently what Lindelhof did was take some of the core ideas of the Spaihts script but turn them into something different that could be developed into separate but still related franchise. This pleased the Fox studio because it of course means that if Prometheus is a success then they can continue the franchise instead of having the narrative arc just butt up to Alien. In fact there's already been rumours that James Cameron might be interested in directing any sequel to Prometheus (apparently both Scott and Cameron discussed it with Fox when Prometheus was given the green light) The whole thing could be quite interesting I think.

NoSleep

Quote from: Feralkid on August 07, 2011, 10:47:06 AM
Not sure how the revised script will work by the original pre-Lindehoff version of the screenplay was leaked a while ago.   It was awful, given that and Scott's dreadful track record over the last 20 years I think it wise to have the lowest of expectations.

A friend of mine told me Scott is surrounded by an entourage of yes-men which effectively stops any creative feedback with others on a set, which can be essential to the production of an excellent film. This was from someone who had spent a little time working on the film.

Cohaagen

In passing, if any of you are even slightly interested in the technical work - models, effects, creature suits, etc. - that went into creating Alien, I positively and aggressively recommend the Alien Makers documentaries on the site below. They're put together by Dennis Lowe, who was part of the effects crew on the film in 1978.

http://www.zen171398.zen.co.uk/

mobias

Wow, cheers for that. I'll give them a go.

Jemble Fred

Quote from: Cohaagen on August 07, 2011, 12:41:20 PM
Looking through the screenshots it's clear the production work is fantastic, keeping a real continuity with the first film. The Alien films have always established their canon and mythology through art and production design - one of the smartest things about Aliens is how through the design of the sets, spaceships, costumes and props Cameron instantly lets you know you're in the same universe seen in the first movie. It's that very aspect which Resurrection fucked up so badly.

That's interesting, the first thing that occurred to me when I saw all the Prometheus shots was how unbearably generic it all seemed, it could have been almost any space-set sci-fi of the last 30 years. Now that may well be largely down to the influence of Alien in the first place, but it still spells yawns.

I do like the very first original 'Alien', but don't give a stuff for any other iteration, be it movie, game or action figure boxed up with Freddie Kruger.

madhair60

I've never seen any of the Alien movies, despite having the quadrilogy (which, ironically, I won at a film quiz).

mobias

We may have the first official movie promo poster.....


Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I think it's for the best if it's not an Alien prequel any longer. All that would have done is spoil the mystique of the Space Jockey and such.

I wonder if stylistic continuity with the first film will stretch to using the same crappy green and black CRT monitors on computers.

AlkyBastard

It's still slightly a prequel isn't it?

mobias

Check out some of these leaked studio shots. All looks very Alien, very Giger-esque







Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: AlkyBastard on August 08, 2011, 10:54:12 PM
It's still slightly a prequel isn't it?
It's all been a bit confusing. The first time I heard about it, it was going to focus on the Space Jockies and not have any people at all, which sounded intriguing but probably impossible to finance. Last I'd heard they'd abandoned the idea of a direct prequel and were just making it a sort of spin off set in the same universe. Looking at the pictures though, it seems pretty clear that it is still going to involve the aliens or space jockies to some extent. As long as it doesn't go overboard with exposition it should be fine.

AlkyBastard

Yeah, a film with just the Space Jockey ship getting overrun with xenomorphs and crashing into LV-426 would have been be cool.

Some more set photos:











I particularly like the doorway from the second one. It looks like vocal chords, very organic. It's great that they're building physical sets instead of doing the whole thing in CGI.

Cerys

Quote from: mobias on August 08, 2011, 09:32:47 PM
We may have the first official movie promo poster.....


Ooh, I've got the shivers now.

SavageHedgehog

Am I the only one who can't read the title without think of Jay Sherman's student film from The Critic? I am aren't I?

Anyway, it is an interesting project, but it's true that Scott hasn't really made a film I've enjoyed since etc.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Just to go off on a tangent briefly, I was just at the local Cineworld and they had signs up for a one off showing of Aliens on the 29th. I don't know if it's a national thing or not, though.


copylight

Quote from: Cohaagen on August 07, 2011, 01:02:26 PM
In passing, if any of you are even slightly interested in the technical work - models, effects, creature suits, etc. - that went into creating Alien, I positively and aggressively recommend the Alien Makers documentaries on the site below. They're put together by Dennis Lowe, who was part of the effects crew on the film in 1978.

http://www.zen171398.zen.co.uk/

Thanks for that. Fascinating shit- not just for the film stuff but also his other output and the fact that he went to Falmouth college of art decades before me. Just going through his work one finds some really nice sculpture and some terrible painting.

This TV cabinet is neat as hell -



This too -

Whereas this is just erm... -

Interesting chap, I like the way that his biography includes many ''sabbaticals''.

mobias

First lot of official stills released. Looks mysterious. First trailer coming in a few weeks too apparently http://www.prometheus-movie.com/


Spiteface

The trailer has been leaked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3idSf4q2fVI&feature=player_embedded

Apologies for the crap quality.

I've got that anthology blu-ray boxset, I actually feel like putting Alien or Aliens on...

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Going on BBFC standards these days Alien wouldn't be an 18, but it fucking should be.



OKAY

Marv Orange

The inception DAH.......................DAAH strike again