To many, District 9 was the breath of fresh of air the science fiction genre needed. It made good use of its relatively small budget, it explored themes of ethics and morality, and it showcased a young filmmaker with a technical imagination unrivaled at the time. Buzz around the film and the young filmmaker, Neil Blomkamp, grew pretty quickly. His next venture, Elysium, a thrilling (albeit not quite as thoughtful) approach to similar themes, cemented Blomkamp as the next name to watch out for in the industry. Chappie tempered my enthusiasm slightly, but not enough to quell my genuine disappointment when I learned there was no chance of him ever taking the helm on the untitled Alien 5.
Although James Cameron has stated that Blomkamp's script is “gangbusters,” according to Ridley Scott, the project fell through because there was never a script in the first place.
“There was never a script. It was an idea that evolved from, I believe, a 10-page pitch, and I was meant to be the producer on that. And it didn’t evolve. Fox decided that they didn’t want to do it and that was it.”
It’s a shame because what we got in Alien 5’s place were two prequel films that promised to answer questions no one seem to ask. The latest installment, Alien: Covenant, underperformed at the box office, causing Fox to reassess its stake in the burgeoning prequel saga even though Ridley Scott claims to have the next film in the series, Alien: Awakening (god, these titles suck), with a shooting date as early as spring 2018.
It’s always baffling to find out how out of touch the fossils that head these movie studios are. In terms of risks, from where I sit, a film directed by critical darling Blomkamp, starring Sigourney Weaver is a much safer bet than a series of films depicting the origin... of the alien from the movie that was vaguely titled Alien. Alien 5 might have been a bad film, but it almost certainly would have been a lot more interesting than the schlock we got now.
If the franchise needs anything, it’s a change in leadership. Scott has been in charge of these films creatively for a long time, but he clearly has lost sight about what made them work to begin with. His perspective has become both stale and askew.
An endorsement from Cameron shouldn’t be taken lightly. Both because he has no compunction about being honest, like the time he tore Force Awakens a new asshole, and he also happens to be one of the greatest filmmakers of our generation.
Welp, here’s to Chappie 2 and a third Alien prequel.
