Neill Blomkamp’sAlien 5(or whatever it ends up being called) has officially been put on hold at 20th Century Fox, and there’s a chance that it won’t ever get made. This should come as no surprise. The moment directorRidley Scottannounced hisPrometheussequel was being calledAlien: Paradise Lost, rumors began to fly that Neill Blomkamp’sxenomorphproject, which has been called a true sequel toJames Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi blockbusterAliens, was being hung out to dry. What this does is clear up some confusion amongst fans as the studio tries to sort out this shared universe. Here’s what Neill Blomkamp had to say on his officialTwitteraccount.
“Alien is kinda holding/ pending prometheus 2. So I shall be working on other things… as much as I love the xeno- and Lt Ripley”
Every studio is hurrying to create their own shared universe, which spans multiple sequels and spinoffs. 20th Century Fox is no different. They’re currently in the midst of doing this with their Marvel properties, which include X-Men and Fantastic Four. And their hope was that the world ofAliencould expand. But having twoAlienmovies going simultaneous has only proven to confound and confuse less savvy fans of the franchise.Alien: Paradise Lostwill be Ridley Scott’s next film, and while it is a direct sequel to 2012’sPrometheus, it will also connect to the Alien mythology in ways the first movie failed to do.
Alien: Paradise Lostwill shoot in Australia at the start of 2016. Ridley Scott is currently in preproduction on the sci-fi adventure that will continueElizabeth Shawand android David’s trip to theengineers' home planet. There, they will encounter a new xenomorph monster and another group of space travelers. And the film is said to have connections toSigourney Weaver’s iconic Ripley character. Some even believe she may be born or introduced as a baby. Alien 5, on the other hand, is set to starSigourney WeaverasRipleyand promises to bring backMichael Biehnas Hicks, with a storyline that takes place betweenAliensandAlien 3.
Neill Blomkamp appeared to still be working on Alien 5 as late as last week, when he shared a photo of anAlien pulse riflewith fans. But now, he is pointing his attentions in a different direction for a while, though we’re not sure on what. At this time, 20th Century Fox has not outright canceled Alien 5. But there is a chance that could happen. It depends on reactions and box office forAlien: Paradise Lost, which could end up taking the franchise in a completely new and different direction that may not fit with what Neill Blomkamp currently has planned.
20th Century Fox seems to have taken a note from Sony and theirThe Amazing Spider-Manfranchise. It’s not safe to announce too many projects all at once, no matter what the property. Because you never can tell what will connect with an audience at any given moment in the social climate. The firstPrometheusreceived mixed reactions from fans and critics, and it’s taken longer than expected to figure out how to move forward with the franchise. If the movie bombs, it will be interesting to see which direction Fox moves in next. This is obviously a property they’re in no hurry to scuttle under the couch. And they already had two huge misfires with theAlien Vs. Predatormovies. Those seemed like surefire hits. And they weren’t. At this time, neitherAlien: Paradise Lostnor Alien 5 have release dates. Though both were expected to arrive in 2017. That may still hold true forPrometheus. As for Alien 5? We’ll have to wait and see.
