CLOSE
x

NEIL BLOMKAMP TO DIRECT ALIEN 5

“Um… So I think it’s officially my next film. #alien” – Neil Blomkamp on Instagram.

After releasing a slew of what he claimed were mooted and abandoned concept drawings a couple months back, South African sci-fi director Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) today seemed to confirm that his next film will be an instalment of the long-running Alien franchise, first inaugurated by Ridley Scott back in 1979 and subsequently ruined by Ridley Scott in 2012.

Variety jumped on the story, which seems to confirm it, while crushing the hopes of cineastes everywhere by also confirming that Scott’s Prometheus 2 is also proceeding as planned.

If we’re judging by the art released so far, Blompkamp’s proposed film leans heaving on James Cameron’s Aliens, with not just Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley appearing, but also Michael Biehn’s Hicks and Carrie Henn’s Newt (memorably autopsied in Alien 3). That might be hard to get across the line – not only is everyone 30 years older now, but none of them are exactly box office gold.

Still, Blompkamp is a sci-fi lifer with a distinctive, industrialised visual style and a clear love of the franchise, so the best attitude for the the moment is one of hopeful optimism.

Blompkamp’s new film, Chappie, opens in Australia cinemas on March 12.

 

x