Movies
‘Alien’ Prequel (Xeno)Morphs Into ‘Prometheus’?
Even with all the speculation and behind-the-scenes gossip that has been making headlines since last year, it’s still heartbreaking to learn that Ridley Scott’s Alien Prequel is officially dead. Whether it was Scott’s ego, casting issues, the budget spiraling out of control, or something completely different, Fox has given the franchise prequel the axe… well, sort of. In the wake of its ashes rises Prometheus, which seems to be the same premise, slightly retooled, and devoid of the Alien universe. This move seems to have relieved a source of supposed tension between the studio and Scott, as Noomi Rapace, the director’s choice for the lead, is sticking with the film during the transition, presumably in the same capacity. I think in the coming months, it’ll be interesting to see if the actors rumored to be circling the project show up in its reincarnated state – including Michelle Yeoh, James Franco, and Michael Fassbender.
According to Scott, the project shifted gears because it took on a life of its own, growing far beyond the constraints of the already established universe. “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 Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative.” Only time will tell if it was because of Damon Lindelof’s (Lost) involvement, since it was previously reported that when brought in for a rewrite job “the exchange of ideas between [Lindelof, Scott, and Fox] sparked a take that could well turn out to be a free-standing science fiction film.”
The studio has so much faith in it that they’ve already given it a release date: March 9, 2012. With all the conflicting reports over the past few months, one can only hope that Prometheus‘ DVD special features will include a massive documentary explaining the transition and what exactly Scott had to say or do for Fox to change courses in reviving one of their most popular franchises.
A contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Herbert West: Reanimator is on the way, and Deadline has unveiled the first look at the new Herbert West and the pathologist drawn to his orbit.
The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallis.
Michael Grossman (“The Originals”, “Pretty Little Liars”) directs.
The new images introduce star Joseph Morgan (“Vampire Diaries“), who plays “brilliant surgeon and scientist Herbert West, who is obsessed with creating a serum to reanimate the dead.” Katie Cassidy (Speed Demon) stars opposite as the pathologist with a troubled past who joins his efforts.
Together, they prove that conquering death may be the ultimate sin against life itself.
The film’s official synopsis: “As a child, Herbert West watches his father Peter reanimate his dead mother Judith in a secret basement lab — only for Judith to mortally wound Peter and nearly kill Herbert before Peter shoots her. The trauma leaves its mark on Herbert, but so does one final image: his mother’s finger, twitching after death. Thirty years later, Herbert West is a brilliant, secretive surgeon still chasing his father’s obsession.
“Pathologist Kate Locke arrives in town and is drawn into his orbit — first through a spark at a hospital fundraiser, then through his secret lab, where he reveals a serum capable of reanimating severed tissue. Kate, hiding a dark past of her own, is thrilled rather than horrified, and moves into West’s mansion to work alongside him. Their early experiments on a cadaver succeed only briefly. West concludes that dead tissue is the problem — they need something fresher.”
Supporting cast includes Scott Aiello, Ira J Amyx, Randall Newsome, Emma Reinagal, James D. Bryce, Kathryn A Bentley, Jack Lancaster, Amy Holland Pennell, John Pierson, Mindy Shaw, Eric Dean White, Tristan Wilder Hallet, Adrienne Lamping, Aaron Crippen, and Drew Patterson.
Makeup artist Jeff Lewis (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and cousin Roger Lewis are heading the production via their newly established Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s short story, first serialized in Home Brew magazine in 1922, is the first among his works to mention the fictional Miskatonic University. It was most famously adapted into a 1985 horror movie from Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West.
Herbert West: Reanimator is set in Alton, Illinois, where production is now underway.
Herbert West: Reanimator. Photo credit: Matt Lief Anderson
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