Alien Prequel on indefinite hold
Sky Movies reports that Ridley Scott is looking for upwards of $250 million to make this highly anticipated prequel. He is also pushing quite heavily for an R rated film full of horror and violence. 20th Century Fox, on the other hand, would rather continue the path they've carved out with the Alien vs. Predator spin-offs, and keep their Untitled Alien Prequel aimed at teens with a PG-13 rating. They've made it quite clear that they will not finance a film that restricts younger audience members from paying to see it.
1978's Alien and its subsequent stand-alone sequels were all rated R in the states, though Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection both received a 15 rating overseas. About the PG-13 rated Alien vs. Predator, Ridley Scott has stated, "I actually have a very good relationship with 20th Century Fox. But they know how I feel (about the spin-offs)."
Though Scott has made his intentions clear in regards to what he wants out of his Untitled Alien Prequel for a while, saying "The film will be really tough, really nasty. It's the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?" It is only now that he is being told "No!" By the studio.
It is unclear when and if this matter will find a resolution. 20th Century Fox may seek out another director if Ridley Scott does not agree to their stipulations.
Prometheus comes to theaters June 8th, 2012 and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce. The film is directed by Ridley Scott.
Comments (62)
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Justhim_sir
First AVP movies has been ok, the second was very hard to look at because the scenes were so dark I couldn't some of the action that was happening. Aliens has always been R-rated and to change it be childish, the hell with the teens not every theaters stop them from seeing stuff cuz they need the money, last but not least for the $250 mil buget I hoping half of it goes to the first film and the other half of goes into the second film cuz all in one film is way too bold to be asking for since horror films hasn't been doing so well, unless made with throw away money like Devil & The Last Exorcism.
2 years agoby @justhim-sirFlag
Mutant
Fox is living in a pipe dream since they want their films to be PG-13. Grow a pair and accept Scott's two part prequel.
2 years agoby @zenderFlag
MrLoco Campos-Overgaard
Now I've been a fan of the Alien movies since I first saw James Cameron's Aliens as a kid in the 80's and unlike a lot of folks, I actually enjoy the AVP movies, maybe it's cuz I've been collecting the comics since the late 80's too, but anyway all that aside, what the hell is Fox thinking? PG-13 and not giving it a big budget so it can actually have a chance to be great.. Instead they wanna water it down, that's some bull sh*t!
2 years agoby @mrloco-campos-overgaardFlag
CBF
@Slysnide I second the notion. Give Ridley what he deserves. Hasn't the man proven himself?
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
slysnide
Are they outta their f*cking minds?????????? They greenlight "Avatar" with a lucrative budget & great director too, but say no to this??????????????
That's what made the original great!!!
Have they not been reading into how much fans hate that AVP crap???
Let Ridley have his way today!!!!!!!
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
fanboy
go Ridley. show them whos boss
2 years agoby @fanboyFlag
LuxoIII
On the rating half, I'm DEFINITELY on Scott's side. Alien is an R-rated franchise and Fox should have learned from AVP that that tactic simply doesn't work. Honestly, it's really outrageous that they would even suggest that again.
On the financial side, however, I can see why Fox wouldn't want to finance a $250mil production of a film that is part of a franchise that tends to stay within the $100mil mark. Heck, this is more like Middle Earth Epic dollars or Pandora 3D Extravaganza dollars, not Terrifying Thrill Ride Through the Darkest Corners of Space dollars. Alien is about closed-in set pieces and believable prosthetic and animatronic effects, not a sweeping space epic, which is what $250mil is implying.
2 years agoby @brady1138Flag
K-Man
@narrator - hey dude, I apologize because I didnt make my statements clear on who I was directing it at. My first sentence about the two movies and $125 million for each was directed at you. Anything after that was hypethetically directed at Fox and anyone reading, especially the talk of anyone comparing 70s and today is a f*cking idiot. I wasn't calling you a f*cking idiot...I want to make that clear. I was directing that at the studio.
2 years agoby @k-manFlag
CBF
Rating disagreement, WOW! What is there to disagree about? Alien films are Rated R.
F*ck the studios. They are the only ones who want to soften up franchises with PG-13 ratings. You know that should have been talked about before anything with the studio. "Let it be Rated R or I'm not doing it." The studio needs to go back and watch the other Alien films again. PG-13....wow.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
PUNISHER
Good for Scott, stick to your guns man!! F*ck them for wanting a pg13. Its an R rated franchise. They need to stay the f*ck out of it and let the master go to work.
2 years agoby @cerealkillerFlag
The Narrator: The Better Man
@Kman, I am more than aware of everything you said.
1. I brought up the first films budget because even for the 70's (it was 1979.. barely the 70's) 11 million wasn't that huge of a budget. So I was simply wondering why he was going for such a big budget. The studio I think would understand if he had a few big names attached to the film, but I don't know. "FUX" is all f*cked up.
2. I completely forgot that they were doing both films back to back, so my mind assumed that the 250 was for the first prequel film. An honest mistake.
3. I am simply wondering how exactly is he planning on making these prequel films. I mean will it be Blade Runner/Alien esque and be slower, more creative and narrative. Or will it be like his newer breed of films; Body of Lies type pacing. Know what I mean?
4. Fox is retarded. I completely agree with you there, as do most movie goers.
@incomb. Thanks, again I was well aware of everything you said, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
K-Man
@narrator - He's asking for that much because its two films being shot back to back. Simple math puts that at $125 million per film, which by todays standards is pretty average for a big blockbuster like Aliens. Lets face it, this series became a blockbuster the moment James Cameron released the sequel. And any Studio exec who thinks an Alien film directed by Ridley Scott wouldn't bring in at least $125 million is a f*cking idiot and should be fired......whether its R-rated or not!
....and to compare a film's budget that was made in the 70's to a film that is made today is straight up f*cking retarded. First you have to take into account inflation, which over 30 years is a lot of money. Then you have to compare what special effects were back then (which was model space ships shot against a big screen that had space projected on it and the occasional blue screen......those were the early days of blue screen, ladies and gents.....we've come a long way).
Plus we haven't even read the script and I'd be willing to bet that there is more "action" that takes place in this one compared to the first Alien, which relied more on the audience's imagination than actually seeing the creatures......which means this would be more in the light of Aliens.
Also, Avatar was proof that people want to see, and are willing to pay big money, for Sci-fi....and apparently even more so if its in 3D, which the prequels are being shot in. Now if Fox was willing to take a risk on Avatar, considering it was only one movie, for $400 million and they made over $2 billion, why the f*ck wouldn't they make 2 alien movies for only $125 million each??? Especially when you know it has a huge following???? Given Avatar was PG-13, but the studio still had no idea whether people would like it or not!!!
How does all this make sense????
For god sakes FOX, the Alien films will make their money back!!!!!
2 years agoby @k-manFlag
PM
what makes this so exciting is that Ridley Scott would be directing...............so if he wasn't then who would care
2 years agoby @pmFlag
Bane5000
FOX working their magic once again to mess up a franchise just cuz they want tweens to be permitted to go see it...well guess wat Fox...even if it is rated R teens will go see it anyhow
an Aliens movie has to be rated R c'mon, anything less is just a slap in the face to the franchise, like the AVP films were...
is Fox concerned lil kiddies might be to scared to see this film, well heres an idea...DONT TAKE LIL KIDS THEN...when i went to see Saw 2 in theaters a woman next to me had a new born and a toddler with her watching the movie and i bet afterwards she complained its to gory for kids, well guess what not all movies are made for kids..
2 years agoby @bane5000Flag
MrP
The cinema is quite different between the UK and the US. I was horrified that when I visited LA we saw Red Dragon and half way through in walks a mother with her baby and half a dozen hell spawn about 10 and under. Unless she was taking the piss they were all over the place and no one batted an eyelid!
On top of that people were having a picnic, the sh*t they were eating was amazing with steam coming off it. Then there were about 6 student types all of them being vocal about what they did and didn't like. Though the use of some Brit words from said students was funny 'Bollocks' was used half a dozen times. Now we get arseholes in the cinema but they do seem to know when too far is exactly that.
Fox needs this film and its ironic that they think they are the hand that feeds when actually they are biting it. Ridley needs to tell them where they get off and why Alien is what it is to everyone that's seen it. AVP couldn't wipe Alien's arse. End of rant.
2 years agoby @mrpFlag
incmob
@narrator... i can understand what you are saying but on average most movies nowadays film budgets are fairly high, especially with alot of cgi which is much more costly then say modeling and puppets, if that is the route that scott is taking. if you look at the 25 most expensive films at the link, most of them are upwards of 200 million and alot of them were made in the 200's while even some of them were made in the 90's. but most of them are films full of visual effects... also i believe he is making two prequels back to back, and that may contribute to both budgets, but wants it approved for both films, i could be wrong but just a thought.
here is the link for 25 most expensive films:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/153002/hollywoods_25_most_expensive_movies.html?cat=40
as far as the pg-13 vs. r rating i think it is good that scott is wanting to fight for something he doesnt have to chop up... example blade runner, which has now had 4 different versions but may have had one version had scott had some control without the studio interfering. I personally want this to be epic, and with scott at the reigns i feel it will be the best alien film since aliens, or alien 3 for us who have a guilty pleasure regarding that film. and fox should look at its own mistakes for the avp movies by making them teen flix, even saw continues to pour in butt loads of money and they are a hard r by studio standards.
2 years agoby @incmobFlag
The Narrator: The Better Man
@ejk, excellent point. FUX seriously needs to get over their self bloated ego's, especially after Avatar (lets face it, right now, they think they're on top of the world).
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
The Narrator: The Better Man
However, I am curious as to why he wants such a huge budget. The first Alien film's budget was relatively small: 11 million. But of course, these days, that kind of money definitely doesn't go as far as it used to. So I'd understand if he asked for 150 to 180 million... but 250.. Like I said, I am curious.
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
ejk1
Unless I'm wrong, teens can get into R-rated films when accompanied by adults. I'm fairly certain that this film would get 15 and 16 year old into the theaters. As for the AVP movies, I don't give a damn about them.
2 years agoby @ejk1Flag
The Narrator: The Better Man
God, if only Fox could see the buzz this news is making on the internet. I mean, if they saw all these movie threads, and how every single user agrees that this is a bad move. I am sure they'd change their minds!.. I think I'd be sure... Nah, they still wouldn't give a f*ck.
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
CroMaster
250mil??? what a f*ck!!! and yeah, 20 century fox, go f*ck yourself!!!
2 years agoby @avpFlag
T.Clark
Fox f*cks up everything. There should not be a debate over the rating. It shouldn't even be discussed. I'd like to know who the jack wipe is who at some meeting stood up and said "I think the Alien prequel should be PG-13 and suck ass."
R-RATING. Period.
2 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag
The Dark Knight
gay go all out with R and it will pay off
2 years agoby @thedarkknight23Flag
Ryan Moran
THAT F*CKING SUCKS
2 years agoby @nightwing18Flag
StrbJun
So when did an R rating stop teenagers from seeing a film again? Last I checked teenagers still found ways to see something if they wanted to no matter what the rating was. Hell, I've seen little kids at R rated films. I don't think that many people really care what a film is rated. I don't think that Fox understands the audience if they're saying it'll keep out the youth.
2 years agoby @strbjunFlag
Diego Fernando Salazar Proaño
Matrix was R-rated and more succesfull than AVP! Avatar was riskier and gave more money to James Cameron. Alien has a huge fanbase and they will go to see this SPECIALLY with Ridley Scott and an R-rating (that was the ONLY good thing (with the score) of AVPR)! Hell, even Cameron's Aliens was R-rated!
2 years agoby @diego-fernando-salazar-proaoFlag
Narzion
when will f*cking studio learn that - WE WANT GOOD MOVE AND NOT F*CKING ALIEN VS PREDATOR PG-13 SH*T, F*CK YOU 20 CENTURY FOX, F*CK YOU
2 years agoby @narzionFlag
Worth5Bucks
This is ridiculous, this is probably what ruined robin hood too. Teens don't have a problem getting into an r rated film. They look forward to them more than anything else
2 years agoby @mattbierwagenFlag
Draktyr
Leave it to studios to smash chances to see cool things. Guess they don't realize that they would make bank off another Alien movie by Scott!
Also...they will not finance a film that restricts younger audience members from paying to see it?! The "R" rated Alien movies have made more to date than any of the half-assed "PG-13" ones will EVER do! Get your head outta your asses, Fox!
2 years agoby @draktyrFlag
Emmytt
sucks but what do u expect from 20th century fox
2 years agoby @emmyttFlag