Editorials
‘Alien: Covenant’: What We Know About Ridley Scott’s Next ‘Alien’ Film!
After Fox spent the better part of last year developing a fifth Alien with District 9, Elysium and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp, the studio randomly pulled the project in favor of Ridley Scott‘s long-gestured Prometheus sequel.
Most films that go into production are kept under lock and key, with very little plot details available.
With Scott’s Prometheus follow up, we know almost too much, which oddly still doesn’t tell us a whole lot.
With filming set to begin next month in Australia, I thought it would make sense to compile the buckets of information into one post. I couldn’t believe how much there was by the time I was done…
TITLE
I know, it’s funny to have a header highlighting the film’s title as “information,” but Scott couldn’t land on one for quite some time.
Long story short (elongated version here), there were plans for a sequel to Scott’s Alien prequel, Prometheus, but was put on the back-burner as he developed other projects. Neill Blomkamp was tapped by Fox to write and direct Alien 5, a followup to Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens. Then, out of nowhere, Scott decided that Prometheus 2 would be his followup to The Martian, which put Blomkamp’s Alien on hold. Further causing confusion, ahead of pre-production Prometheus 2 was retitled to Alien: Paradise Lost. Finally, the film was officially announced as Alien: Covenant, which Fox confirmed by releasing the above logo.
I speculated that the title refers to some sort of “agreement,” presumably made between the Engineers and mankind. Without knowing anything on the inside, and going by what happened in Prometheus, could this broken contract be the death of Jesus Christ, which is alluded to in the first film (the thought is that the Engineers were sending the black ooze to wipe out mankind approximately 2,000 years ago when something happened on the ship)? There’s a lot of theology ladled throughout the film, thanks to writer Damon Lindelof, which implies that the crucifixion of Jesus has a connection to the mystery of the Engineers’ death ship.
EXPANDED UNIVERSE
While Neill Blomkamp’s Alien sequel is on cold ice, it’s part of a plan to create an expanded universe much like Avengers, X-Men or Ghostbusters.
According to Scott, a first draft has been completed, with a target to have it in theaters by 2017. This was, obviously, before it was put on the back-burner.
“We have Neill Blomkamp’s Alien, which will be out in 2017,” he told the Daily Beast. “We just have the first [screenplay] draft in so far but it looks pretty good.”
I questioned how Blomkamp’s Alien would release by 2017, considering he was still in the drafting phase with no plans of shooting. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, right?
NEW ALIEN TRILOGY TO BRIDGE FILMS
Scott is planning several sequels to Prometheus that will eventual bridge that was planned in Prometheus.
When I originally broke the news about the Prometheus plot (prior to the shooting of the 2012 prequel), its original intention was to be a stand alone film thats “big twist” was that it would connect directly to Scott’s 1979 Alien. What we were told is that, at the end of Prometheus, the Engineers’ ship would crash and be the exact same craft that’s discovered in the opening of Alien. Damon Lindelof came in to retool Jon Spaihts’ screenplay, which allegedly took place on the same planet as Alien, too. Lindelof sold Scott on a new franchise, and expanded the concept, which is why Prometheus takes place on a different planet and sets up its own sequel.
“There is an evolution to this one so if we can get something down I don’t not see how we go [forward without a third],” Scott was quoted as saying.
Once the bridge is connected, there’s no way to create anymore direct sequels, which is why you can expect this trilogy to eventually be completed. Obviously, a huge box office failure could complicate things.
This is also confirmed in the official synopsis…
OFFICIAL STORY DETAILS
“Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in Alien with Alien: Covenant, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus — and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.”
THE ENGINEERS’ HOME PLANET IS DESTROYED
In an interview with Awards Campaign, Scott revealed that the Covenant crew is heading to the Engineers’ home planet, which is destroyed.
“It’s going to be its own separate thing because they are going to the planet of the Engineers and they are going to see what happened there. It was a disaster,” Scott revealed. “And they will be in that alien craft that takes them there, but with a new group that’s incoming, a new group of travelers in the beginning of the first act.”
The fact that it was once titled Alien: Paradise Lost, I think it’s safe to assume the Engineers’ home planet used to be paradise and is now destroyed by their own creation – you know, another metaphor for our own planet.
And speaking of these new travelers, will there be different alien beings or more humans from Earth who Weyland sent as backup? Maybe both?!
MEET THE CREW
Michael Fassbender is returning as Prometheus‘ android, David, with Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice, Jobs, The Babysitters) leading a new crew that included Demian Bichir and the hilarious Danny McBride (“Eastbound and Down”), as well as Alex England (Gods of Egypt), Billy Crudup, Amy Seimetz (pictured; A Horrible Way to Die, “The Killing”), Jussie Smollett (“Empire”), Carmen Ejogo and Callie Hernandez (Machete Kills).
While it was originally reported that Noomi Rapace will not be returning as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, new reports say she will indeed make an appearance!
INTRODUCTION OF A “TERRIFYING BEAST”
When asked about his sequel to Prometheus, Scott quickly corrected an interviewer: “Yeah. Well, really it’s Alien,” explained Scott who reveals that the film will give birth to a new creature. “They’re going to go to the planet where the Engineers came from, and come across the evolving creature that they had made. Why did they make it? Why would they make such a terrifying beast? It felt bio-mechanoid, it felt like a weapon. And so the movie will explain that, and reintroduce the Alien back into it.”
The original Xenomorph isn’t the only alien creature we should expect to terrorizer the Covenant crew…
FAN SERVICE: EXPECT TO SEE THE EGG, FACEHUGGER and CHESTBURSTER!
In the same interview, Scott promised that we’re to expect some serious fan servicing in Covenant: “There was always this discussion: Is Alien, the character, the beast, played out or not?” Scott stated before dropping this mega-bomb. “We’ll have them all: egg, facehugger, chestburster, then the big boy.”
Yes, Alien: Covenant will feature not only the Xenomorph, but also the iconic egg and facehugger, to go along with a chestburster.
DAVID CONTINUES TO PLAY GOD
Scott had told of a new origin story for the elusive Xenomorphs, which could tie to the the following story that came courtesy of Scified:
“The movie will have 2 Monsters, one is new and both are different yet similar to the Xeno DNA. The NEW Monster is a New Event, so it’s nothing created before the Events of the end of the First movie…. it’s created by an event in the movie… and this New Monster is going to be based off of the Original Concept that Alien drew influence from, and this idea is something they had planned with Spaights’ Ultramorph and so Gigers Necomonicon 4 is the starting point. This Monster will be transparent like a Jelly Fish to a degree…. and it’s hinted that David plays a part in its creation.
The movie won’t be going the route of an Alien movie, just we will see more clues and things that we can relate and make connection to the Xeno DNA and Bio-Mechanics of the Engineers. The movie will loosely touch up on themes that can connect to the Prometheus Mythos and the Bible but more in respect to the Paradise Lost version of events but again loosely.
They won’t be going a full blown Ancient Aliens in detail on us, just we can make subtle links to themes, such as Rebellion, Order of Creation (that has multiple layers that does not start with the Engineers and does not end with David). Stealing of Forbidden Knowledge and Fire and how playing God and going against God always has dire consequences.”
If this were to prove true, it would connect to my own theory as to what the title Alien: Covenant means.
HARD “R” RATING
Screen Slam posted a full backstage video interview with Scott at the Golden Globes, where his The Martian won “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.”
One of the reporters pointed out that fans of the horror genre are still looking for films like Alien to which Scott responded, “That’s why I’m doing it. I’m going to do pretty hard ‘R.’ Pretty tough.”
But the shocker is the reveal that he is planning something “much worse” than the famous chest-burst scene. He almost topped it with the c-section sequence in Prometheus. What could he have up his sleeve this time?!
THANK STAR WARS
While Scott spewed a monologue out about how he was frustrated with the Alien sequels, the real reason we’re getting a brand new Alien trilogy is because of, get this, Star Wars.
“Star Wars will be a juggernaut. Why do you think I’m doing sequels,” Scott quipped in this interview.
THERE’S A RELEASE DATE
Originally set for fall of 2017, you can safely mark your calendar for May 19, 2017.
I hope the Engineers are ready for us…
Having grown up in a religious family, Christian movie night was something that happened a lot more often than I care to admit. However, back when I was a teenager, my parents showed up one night with an unusually cool-looking DVD of a movie that had been recommended to them by a church leader. Curious to see what new kind of evangelical propaganda my parents had rented this time, I proceeded to watch the film with them expecting a heavy-handed snoozefest.
To my surprise, I was a few minutes in when Denzel Washington proceeded to dismember a band of cannibal raiders when I realized that this was in fact a real movie. My mom was horrified by the flick’s extreme violence and dark subject matter, but I instantly became a fan of the Hughes Brothers’ faith-based 2010 thriller, The Book of Eli. And with the film’s atomic apocalypse having apparently taken place in 2024, I think this is the perfect time to dive into why this grim parable might also be entertaining for horror fans.
Originally penned by gaming journalist and The Walking Dead: The Game co-writer Gary Whitta, the spec script for The Book of Eli was already making waves back in 2007 when it appeared on the coveted Blacklist. It wasn’t long before Columbia and Warner Bros. snatched up the rights to the project, hiring From Hell directors Albert and Allen Hughes while also garnering attention from industry heavyweights like Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman.
After a series of revisions by Anthony Peckham meant to make the story more consumer-friendly, the picture was finally released in January of 2010, with the finished film following Denzel as a mysterious wanderer making his way across a post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book. Along the way, he encounters a run-down settlement controlled by Bill Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man desperate to get his hands on Eli’s book so he can motivate his underlings to expand his empire. Unwilling to let this power fall into the wrong hands, Eli embarks on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of his faith.
SO WHY IS IT WORTH WATCHING?
Judging by the film’s box-office success, mainstream audiences appear to have enjoyed the Hughes’ bleak vision of a future where everything went wrong, but critics were left divided by the flick’s trope-heavy narrative and unapologetic religious elements. And while I’ll be the first to admit that The Book of Eli isn’t particularly subtle or original, I appreciate the film’s earnest execution of familiar ideas.
For starters, I’d like to address the religious elephant in the room, as I understand the hesitation that some folks (myself included) might have about watching something that sounds like Christian propaganda. Faith does indeed play a huge part in the narrative here, but I’d argue that the film is more about the power of stories than a specific religion. The entire point of Oldman’s character is that he needs a unifying narrative that he can take advantage of in order to manipulate others, while Eli ultimately chooses to deliver his gift to a community of scholars. In fact, the movie even makes a point of placing the Bible in between equally culturally important books like the Torah and Quran, which I think is pretty poignant for a flick inspired by exploitation cinema.
Sure, the film has its fair share of logical inconsistencies (ranging from the extent of Eli’s Daredevil superpowers to his impossibly small Braille Bible), but I think the film more than makes up for these nitpicks with a genuine passion for classic post-apocalyptic cinema. Several critics accused the film of being a knockoff of superior productions, but I’d argue that both Whitta and the Hughes knowingly crafted a loving pastiche of genre influences like Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog.
Lastly, it’s no surprise that the cast here absolutely kicks ass. Denzel plays the title role of a stoic badass perfectly (going so far as to train with Bruce Lee’s protégée in order to perform his own stunts) while Oldman effortlessly assumes a surprisingly subdued yet incredibly intimidating persona. Even Mila Kunis is remarkably charming here, though I wish the script had taken the time to develop these secondary characters a little further. And hey, did I mention that Tom Waits is in this?
AND WHAT MAKES IT HORROR ADJACENT?
Denzel’s very first interaction with another human being in this movie results in a gory fight scene culminating in a face-off against a masked brute wielding a chainsaw (which he presumably uses to butcher travelers before eating them), so I think it’s safe to say that this dog-eat-dog vision of America will likely appeal to horror fans.
From diseased cannibals to hyper-violent motorcycle gangs roaming the wasteland, there’s plenty of disturbing R-rated material here – which is even more impressive when you remember that this story revolves around the bible. And while there are a few too many references to sexual assault for my taste, even if it does make sense in-universe, the flick does a great job of immersing you in this post-nuclear nightmare.
The excessively depressing color palette and obvious green screen effects may take some viewers out of the experience, but the beat-up and lived-in sets and costume design do their best to bring this dead world to life – which might just be the scariest part of the experience.
Ultimately, I believe your enjoyment of The Book of Eli will largely depend on how willing you are to overlook some ham-fisted biblical references in order to enjoy some brutal post-apocalyptic shenanigans. And while I can’t really blame folks who’d rather not deal with that, I think it would be a shame to miss out on a genuinely engaging thrill-ride because of one minor detail.
With that in mind, I’m incredibly curious to see what Whitta and the Hughes Brothers have planned for the upcoming prequel series starring John Boyega…
There’s no understating the importance of a balanced media diet, and since bloody and disgusting entertainment isn’t exclusive to the horror genre, we’ve come up with Horror Adjacent – a recurring column where we recommend non-horror movies that horror fans might enjoy.
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