Why is this film so mysterious? As we all know, in this day and age, everything is preqeuls, sequels, and remakes. So, 20th Century Fox eventually decided to make a prequel to their best-know horror/sci-fi franchise, Alien. The general concept was to tell the story of the "space jockey," the pilot of the downed ship that our brave humans discover in Alien where they eventually unleash the Alien.
People were ready to shrug this off as just another shameless cash-in for the franchise. But then, things got interesting. Fox was actually able to convince Ridley Scott to come on board and direct this. Scott, of course, director of such blockbusters as Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Black Hawk Down, the recent Robin Hood and...the original Alien way back in 1979. This is Scott's return to the sci-fi genre even since he made the cult-classic Blade Runner way back in 1982. The Alien fanboys have longed for Scott to return to the universe he created, and Scott's involvement brought a new excitement to the project.
So, the development stage went on. The script was refined. And then, Scott and the writers and producers started saying that things had taken a turn. As they continued exploring the story and its possibilites, it evolved into something new. Scott went on record as saying that the film had changed so much that it was no longer an Alien prequel, but that the fans would be able "to see the strands of Alien's DNA." Adding to the confusion was that many Fox higher-ups and several of the cast members continued to refer to it as an Alien prequel.
And that's what makes this film so mysterious. What exactly is it about? Just how much of a connection is there to Alien? Yeah, there's been a spoiler-filled script review circling the Internet for months now, and I could go read it, but where's the fun in that?
The first trailer went online today, and the questions continue.
Well, one thing people seem to be agreeing on...based on the visual asthetics in the trailer, it at least takes place in the same sci-fi universe as Alien. Many have pointed out that the trailer itself seems to be an homage to the original trailer for Alien.
Needless to say, I am intrigued by Prometheus. The mystery that's been surrounding this film is starting to get to me. What little we see in the teaser does some intriguing...it's almost like Scott finally has the budget, or the special effects technology, to really open up the universe he created, rather than the minimalist approach he had with the original film.
It's gotta a pretty star-studded cast, too. Noomi Rapace, the original Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, is Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, an archeologist heading out to the stars to discover the origins of mankind. Charlize Theron is along as Meridith Vickers, a corporate figurehead, and Michael Fassbender, who was the young Magneto in X-Men: First Class, is David, the Alien stock character of the cold-hearted android.
I think I'll be seeing this this summer. It's been enough of a tease so far that I'm hooked.
How exactly does this fit in to the Alien universe? I guess will find out on June 8.
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