Movies
Michael Biehn Updates Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Alien’
We’re reaching the 6 month point to the announcement that Fox had tapped Neill Blomkamp to direct the next installment in the Alien franchise.
The news came before Chappie hit theaters, which means we don’t know the studio’s reaction to the film’s weak box office take and poor reviews.
Behind the scenes at Bloody, we already think this project is dead*, and that Fox has internally nixed Blomkamp’s vision.
While we’re being pessimistic, Aliens star Michael Biehn is keeping the faith.
Biehn, who is at the Sheffield Film and Comic Con, told audiences that Blomkamp had talked to him about Alien 5 but he hasn’t read a script or has been offered a role, says AvPGalaxy.
He also confirmed that Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5 will in fact be ignoring Alien3 and Alien Resurrection as if they never happened.
It’s been speculated that Michael Biehn would be reprising his role as Corporal Hicks ever since Neill Blomkamp shared the below Alien 5 concept art at the start of the year, adds the site. It showed a much older Corporal Hicks with the left side of his face burnt by acid.
Being that it’s been 6 months since Blomkamp started developing the screenplay, and that he isn’t attached to any other (announced) projects, I’m beginning to think this project is about to, or has already entered development hell. I found it odd that, back in July, Blomkamp released even more concept art, which was completely unnecessary being that Fox was already committed to the project. Why would he need to reinvigorate hype if the project were happening? That was our first very bad sign.
Now, Biehn saying that he’s yet to read a script or be offered a role isn’t too reassuring. If Fox was as hot on the project as it appeared back February, don’t you think they’d be locking everyone down for a potential shoot in 2016? Although, it looks as if Biehn isn’t doing much outside of producing and starring in some really bad movies… but what about Sigourney Weaver? What about the fact that Fox has yet to announce a date? Game over, man. GAME OVER.
*This is just speculation.
Movies
‘Abigail’ on Track for a Better Opening Weekend Than Universal’s Previous Two Vampire Attempts
In the wake of Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man back in 2020, Universal has been struggling to achieve further box office success with their Universal Monsters brand. Even in the early days of the pandemic, Invisible Man scared up $144 million at the worldwide box office, while last year’s Universal Monsters: Dracula movies The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Renfield didn’t even approach that number when you COMBINE their individual box office hauls.
The horror-comedy Renfield came along first in April 2023, ending its run with just $26 million. The period piece Last Voyage of the Demeter ended its own run with a mere $21 million.
But Universal is trying again with their ballerina vampire movie Abigail this weekend, the latest bloodbath directed by the filmmakers known as Radio Silence (Ready or Not, Scream).
Unlike Demeter and Renfield, the early reviews for Abigail are incredibly strong, with our own Meagan Navarro calling the film “savagely inventive in terms of its vampiric gore,” ultimately “offering a thrill ride with sharp, pointy teeth.” Read her full review here.
That early buzz – coupled with some excellent trailers – should drive Abigail to moderate box office success, the film already scaring up $1 million in Thursday previews last night. Variety notes that Abigail is currently on track to enjoy a $12 million – $15 million opening weekend, which would smash Renfield ($8 million) and Demeter’s ($6 million) opening weekends.
Working to Abigail‘s advantage is the film’s reported $28 million production budget, making it a more affordable box office bet for Universal than the two aforementioned movies.
Stay tuned for more box office reporting in the coming days.
In Abigail, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”
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