Huge news breaking out of Deadline tonight... Ridley Scott has cancelled the Alien Prequel he has been working on for the past year. Well... kind of. It seems somewhere down the pre-production line Scott and 20th Century Fox decided to go in a different direction with their sci-project and have today boldly announced Prometheus, an ORIGINAL SCI-FI PROJECT but one that's based on the same Damon Lindelof script, same basic idea as mapped out by Jon Spaihts and it'll be a similar film to Alien but it won't have any connections at all to the franchise.Noomi Rapace (long-time Scott's first choice) will lead the five role ensemble as scientist Elisabeth Shaw with Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron both circling the other big feminine role, the tough but mega-hot Vickers. There's no word on Michelle Yeoh or Michael Fassbender who Scott wished to cast previously for two of the other roles but it's being reported that there's three major male parts, so maybe Yeoh is out? Prometheus has been set a March 9th, 2012 release date. Scott says;
While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Aliens DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldnt be more pleased to have found the singular tale Id been searching for, and finally return to this genre thats so close to my heart.
In classic Greek mythology Prometheus was an intelligent Titan who stole fire from Zeus and give it to the Mortals but was punished for doing so by being bound to a rock whilst an eagle ate his liver, only for it to be grown back and eaten the next day and so on and so on. He is also of course blamed for creating man from clay, or something. It's been a while since I was at school but clearly there's a clue in the title of how the new movie will go. Lindelof says;
"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true."
All the pieces for Prometheus should now quickly fall into place (so expect casting soon) as it will need to film this spring to meet it's March release date next year. Dariusz Wolski (Alice in Wonderland, POTC 4) will shoot in 3D using the RED Epic cameras and legendary Alien creature designer H.R. Giger is rumoured to be on board. So a lot to take in here.... breathe. I would love to hear your reactions to this news... surely we all think this is a pretty awesome turn of events? Ridley Scott no longer needs to worry about making continuity work with a film he made three decades ago (!) and the sequels that came after it and I imagine a huge weight has left his shoulders... he now has the freedom to take his story in any direction he wishes. And of course, characters can survive where they previously couldn't and he can build this into a franchise that could be a 21st century version of Alien rather than re-tread old ground.