Alien gets a resurrection thanks to Instagram.
By Brandon Wolfe
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp created a stir recently when he posted to his Instagram page a series of Alien concept art images he had commissioned independently as an unsolicited “what if?” fantasy project. Blomkamp stated at the time that he did this for fun and that he did not expect any of it to ever come to fruition. Yet sometimes fantasies do come true, as both the director and 20th Century Fox have now confirmed that Blomkamp will indeed be bringing his Alien vision to life.
Ridley Scott, the granddaddy of the Alien franchise, will produce the film through his production company, Scott Free. The project will coexist with the upcoming Prometheus sequel that Scott is still making for some reason.
Though Sigourney Weaver has not yet signed onto the new film, she recently expressed enthusiasm for the idea and has just worked with Blomkamp on the upcoming Chappie. Given that the concept art showcased the Ellen Ripley character prominently, Weaver’s participation is very likely.
The nature of the project remains a mystery in terms of how it will line up with previous entries into the Alien mythos. Michael Biehn’s Corporal Hicks was infamously killed off in the opening moments of 1992’s Alien³, yet appeared in Blomkamp’s images all the same, leading many to wonder if this movie intends to retcon that film and 1997’s Alien Resurrection out of existence. Also possible is for the new film to have the Ripley clone from Resurrection again take center stage, yet given that film’s toxic reputation, it seems somewhat unlikely.
This film is the latest instance of the emerging trend of filmmakers releasing unsanctioned, self-developed materials online to cultivate fan buzz and grass-roots support for a project’s eventual realization. Another recent example was the test reel for Deadpool that led to Fox dusting off that property after a positive reception.
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