Summary
After directing one of the most seminal science fiction franchises not involving lightsabers, Ridley Scott is officially disengaging fromAlien’s spacecraft. According to an interview withScreen Rant, Scott says he’s done enough and believes his contributions to this point have been thorough. Since acting as the visionary behind the originalAlienfilm’s creation, he has rightfully acted as a gatekeeper of sorts for all further iterations of the franchise. One of the inspired projects that never got its chance to break through the ribcage of Hollywood wasDistrict 9director Niell Blomkamp’s take onAlien.
Neill Blomkamp’s film would have seen Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley return for a showdown against androids, which have played pivotal roles throughout theAlienfilms. It was canceled despite some pretty strong plot inspiration and concept art. Now that Scott is fully washing his hands of the series, Blomkamp could redeem his directorial career with a spirited showing of his original vision for a fresh take on the franchise.
Neill Blomkamp’sAlienFilm Looked Like It Could’ve Been Great
Neill Blomkamp’sAlienshould have endeared itself to fans right off the bat with one extreme, if not necessary, series change of course. His installment would have been the fifth film in the series' continuity, but according topreviously reported story beats, it would have disregarded the events of bothAlien 3andAlien: Resurrection.
Blomkamp released concept art for the film in 2015, which exhibited Sigourney Weaver in a variety of scenarios, along with aHitman-esquebald android and Michael Biehn’s Cpl. Hicks.Considering the illustrations' inclusion of Ripley and Cpl. Hicks, who was killed off at the start ofAlien 3, Blomkamp’sAliensuggested it would dump the third and fourth films' lackluster offerings into the timeline. Instead of propelling the established storyline, Blomkamp would have had his tale follow the events ofAliens,which is widely regarded as equal to, if not better than, the monumentally regarded original film.
One of the main plot points, according toCollider, would have been the reintroduction of Newt fromAliens,who would have grown up inAlien 5,and take up the mantle of Xenomorph hunter from an aging Ripley. Not only would it have been awesome to see a believably adept Newt slaying aliens, but it would have potentially reinvigorated the franchise, giving it new legs with a known, younger protagonist who carries direct ties to the franchise hero.
Another roadblock for Blomkamp’sAlien 5wasAlien: Covenant,which was partly credited for the film’s development delay. Additionally, there was the reported detail of a never-realized script for Blomkamp’s film. Somewhat puzzlingly, Scott claimed there was never actually any screenplay submitted for consideration. Apparently, there was a 10-page idea at most, and nothing else to show for a project that had been officially greenlit by 20th Century Fox for at least two years prior toAlien: Covenant’s release.
Neill Blomkamp Has Shown He Can HandleAlienTime And Again
By the time Blomkamp pitched his vision forAlien, he had released bothDistrict 9andElysium.WhileDistrict 9is celebrated for its unique approach to realistic human-alien social conflict,Elysiumreceived less acclaim,though it was still a worthy sci-fi epic, clocking in at 64 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the film that followed may have been both nail and coffin for the Newt and Ripley film that never was.
When he releasedChappieto an awful reception following a tumultuous development cycle, Blomkamp figured it was probably over for hisAliencanon hopes. He literally toldThe Guardianthat Ridley Scott “probably watchedChappieand was like this guy can’t doAlien.” Yikes.
Blomkamp wouldn’t take a rejection lying down, though, as he harbors a love for combining visceral alien oddity with the technological follies of humanity, a combination baked into the fabric ofAlien. It would only be a matter of time before he demonstrated his aptitude for the franchise’s lore. Blomkamp went as far as to commission Ellen Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver, to star in a non-Xenomorph alien sci-fi short titledRakkain 2021. The short film was produced by Blomkamp’s independent film production company, Oats Studios.
Rakkais a gritty, gory, disgusting piece of filmmaking equipped with some top-tier performances, crisp camera shots, and fascinating character design - all Blomkamp qualities that would lend themselves gracefully to anAlienmovie. WhileRakkatells an independent story unrelated to Scott’s Xenomorph franchise, its focus on alien lifeforms and the inclusion of Sigourney Weaver are subtle enough nods to what could have been had Blomkamp been given a proper shot.
The short film isn’t critically rated on Rotten Tomatoes, but does boast a respectable 7.3/10 on IMDB. It’s a wild romp and shot beautifully, leaving one to consider what Blomkamp would have done withAlienif only he’d submitted a screenplay andAlien: Covenanthadn’t fizzled out the way it did. Fortunately, we haveNoah Howley’sAliento look forward to, and it looks fantastic.
