What is it about the Alien franchise that has made it so enduring? Ripley’s a hell of a female character for sure, but then the undying terror of a faceless, yet iconic monster only bent on destruction is also a good enough catalyst that everyone from Ridley Scott to James Cameron to David Fincher to Ridley Scott again would want to grapple with it.
If anyone was to continue the franchise and tie Prometheus back to its origins, it would be director Neill Blomkamp, whose District 9 still feels like something of a spiritual successor to Scott’s horror masterpiece. Now Blomkamp, fresh off his upcoming Chappie, is getting that opportunity by signing a deal with Fox for a new Alien sequel.
The film will presumably be an extension of Prometheus 2, which is currently in production and set for 2016, and Scott will serve as an executive producer on the new film.
While it’s not necessarily a straight reboot of the original, Sigourney Weaver has apparently shown interest in the project. If that’s good enough for me, it’s certainly good enough for Fox.
But this Alien sequel might not have even been possible prior to a few months ago, when Blomkamp, in between production on Chappie, began posting concept art of xenomorphs and Ripley to Instagram. Leave it to the power of the Internet, and you have yourself a movie.
Blomkamp confirmed via Instagram on Thursday that Alien would in fact be his next film, posting a photo with a caption reading, “Um… So I think it’s officially my next film. #alien.”
Below, take a look at Blomkamp’s most recent post, as well as his concept art from two months earlier.
Woulda rocked. Was a mental stroll into the world Ridley Scott created.
A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on
A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on
Was working on this. Don’t think I am anymore. Love it though. #alien #xenomorph A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on
A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on