Movies
Ridley Scott Changes Title to ‘Prometheus’ Sequel… Again
This has to be an elaborate joke, or Ridley Scott talks too much to the press.
Long story short (elongated version here), Scott had always planned a sequel to his 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, which is quietly casting for a planned February 2016 shoot.
Now, speaking at AFI, Scott tells The Playlist that he’s once again changed the title. Until the next title change, we will refer to Scott’s Prometheus sequel as Alien: Covenant.
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.
There’s been quite a bit of news over the past few months, which is why I recommend clicking here to get fully up to speed. For now, let’s discuss what the title Alien: Covenant means…
Image source: Deviant art’s Dejano 23.
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.
Adam Simon (The Haunting in Connecticut, “Salem”) and Tim Metcalfe (The Haunting in Connecticut, Kalifornia) penned the script. The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallace.
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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