Shinobi

Then go with another actress. I don't actually expect Carrie Henn to resume the role.

slop101

Alien 3 & 4 both aged better than I thought they would. I mostly hated them back when I saw them in theaters because they weren't 1 or 2, but taken on their own terms, they're not that bad, and don't need to be ignored to make a great 5th movie. But, whatever.

Evidenced by Elysium, Bomkamp is very capable of putting out beautiful looking nonsense, so let's not get too excited just yet.

Lt Ripley

Well, this will be shit.

Lt Ripley

As long as Tewt dies by tripping while exiting her sleep chamber it may have a chance.

fumanstan

I care about seeing Michael Biehn back then I do Newt.

Lt Ripley

Might as well bring him back as Reese with John Connor tagging along saying the future isn't set.

UAIOE

Then I can ignore 3 movies instead of just the last two.

Josh-da-man

That's my thought, as well.

The thing about Alien is that it's sort of a perfect movie that doesn't really need a sequel. There's an air of mystery around the whole thing that leaves you wanting more, but I fear that any answers given would be unsatisfying.

In a way, even though it's a lesser movie, Aliens is kind of brilliant in as a sequel in that it doesn't really resolve any of the mysteries from the first film while still expanding the mythology (ie, introducing the Queen).

TGM

I'd be psyched for this if this was the direction decided upon 20 years ago.

If they are going to get the gang back together, how are they going to explain how old everyone looks? Recasting Newt is easy, but everyone else looks a big haggard.

inri222

Supermallet

Since they're ignoring 3 and 4, it would make sense to not have it take place immediately following the events of Aliens, obviously. Hell, they could make this a pass the baton thing and have Newt be the lone survivor of this film.

Ranger

Saw the headline that this would give Ripley a "proper ending." So seems like they will skip 3 and 4.

Isn't that what they sorta did with Superman Returns?

Supermallet

I don't recall them doing anything with Ripley in Superman Returns.

hanshotfirst1138

Superman Returns basically used the first two Donner films as a (very) loose backstory so that they don't have to redo the origin, and ignores III & IV completely. Personally, I think it's worth a reassessment after the misfire of Man of Steel. I'll have to check one of these days. Is the boxed set still the only way to get the extended cut of Superman: The Movie?

Sean O'Hara

It's twenty years later, Hicks, Ripley and Newt are living as a family on Earth with the money the Company paid them to keep quiet. One day a Bishop robot shows up and announces there's been a new encounter with xenomorphs, and the military needs their expertise.

RocShemp

That was never the issue. The issue is that there was never an HD release of the theatrical cut.

Supermallet

Superman Returns is not worth revisiting, IMO. I kind of liked it when it was the new Superman movie, because hey it's a new Superman movie! But even though Man of Steel is riddled with problems, it's still better than Returns.

hanshotfirst1138

And I'm going to guess that even in the boxed set, there still isn't? Is it just an upscale?

Rypro 525

The real question is will they try to get Carrie Henn to reprise her role as Newt or get a big name actress ala Jennifer Lawrence or ScarJo

RocShemp

Completely excluded.

Shannon Nutt

They'll recast. Have you seen Carrie Henn lately? Unless she gets Mark Hamill's trainer, I don't think they're going to hire her, I'm sad to report.

hanshotfirst1138

DVD Compare says that the Motion Picture Anthology boxed set has it .

islandclaws

Interesting article from Dark Horizons:

Exploding onto the scene with "District 9" in 2009, filmmaker Neill Blomkamp's follow-up 2013 effort "Elysium" was met with a much more muted response. In fact, the film has often been cited as evidence in arguments between fans as to why Blomkamp should not be tackling the next "Alien" film.

It turns out even Blomkamp himself is unhappy with how "Elysium" turned out, and admits in a new interview with Uproxx that he only has himself to blame:

"I feel like I f--ked it up. I feel like ultimately the story is not the right story. I still think the satirical idea of a ring filled with rich people hovering above the impoverished Earth is an awesome idea. I love it so much, I almost want to go back and do it correctly.

But I just think the script wasn't… I just didn't make a good enough film is ultimately what it is. I feel like I executed all of the stuff that could be executed, like costume and set design and special effects very well. But ultimately it was all resting on a somewhat not totally formed skeletal system, so the script just wasn't there."

Indeed, Blomkamp is straightforward and blunt about his own weaknesses as a filmmaker and what he knows he has to work on going forward:

"The problem with me is I get so caught up in concepts and ideas. Like I just said, the ring is so cool. The satirical idea of a diamond encrusted ring above, like, slums is such a satirically cool idea - I'm not like a normal person in the sense that I have to have a story for something to be interesting. Concepts are just as interesting to me as stories are. Where, to normal people, stories are more interesting.

So that's an example of what I mean. I can be like, 'f--k, I love this ring, I love all the visual effects related to it, I love these images and how they're juxtaposed with one another.' And then be like, 'as a director, I could have done better.' And you sort of realize that all these people prefer this element I didn't pay as much attention to, but I paid a lot of attention to this.

The artists I really respect are the ones that are able to very objectively stand back from work and critique it. So, that has been something I've always been good at. I don't assume something's good because I did it and I get all cloudy and f--ked up by it. There's a separation and you got this really right and you got this really wrong - and learn from it and adapt."

Have the lessons worked? We'll find out next week when reviews for "Chappie" start going online.

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I find it concerning that story isn't of paramount importance to him, although it sounds like he may have learned his lesson. As a filmmaker, though, how can you not understand your film lives and dies by the quality of the writing? There are lots of unwatchable films full of cool concepts and set pieces.

hanshotfirst1138

Yes, there are many such films, and they make tons and tons and tons of money because the audience is willing to let it slide if there are enough special effects to occupy their eyes. Sad, but true.

Though I think that Blomkamp is confusing "ideas" with "set pieces,"

RocShemp

Maybe the BD release. But as I recall the HD DVD and DVD sets didn't have the theatrical cut.