Another undeciphered distress call?

They talked about the need to re-design the Derelict into the Juggernaut when making Prometheus because Riddles wanted it to roll and the Derelict wouldn't do that.

As the above pictures bear out.

S.M

Are you saying a production decision in favor of allowing for a rolling juggernaut is defining it as a different ship in the canon?

@QueenElizabethShaw the pictures aren't enough to rule out LV-426 after a massively cataclysmic event, but every piece of data about the events of LV-426 and the length of time we can infer that the derelict was there COMPLETELY rules out any ship that crashes on the planet in Alien Covenant being the derelict from ALIEN. 

"Are you saying a production decision in favor of allowing for a rolling juggernaut is defining it as a different ship in the canon?"

If you like.  The fact is, as it stands, they're different ships.  Different shape and different size, which be worked out simply from footage in the films in which they appear.

It's Riddles prerogative to mess with continuity should he so choose - but should this planet somehow end up being LV-426, it will mess with established continuity.

"If you like.  The fact is, as it stands, they're different ships.  Different shape and different size, which be worked out simply from footage in the films in which they appear."

I can get on board with the idea that he made the ship different for the scene to work but I don't see how that binds him to say it's a different ship in the film itself. He gave it all the critical components of the derelict.

The only other thing I see being a problem would be the Weyland files on the bluray, but I am curious as to whether Ridley cares to move in sync with that material. If that was largely promotional material from Fox, I could see him disregarding it. Especially considering that material was only available through the bluray and the script for AC underwent significant changes several times since that material was released. The man is almost 80. He may not even remember some auxiliary material Fox decided to attach to the bluray

Aside from what has already been discussed, are there other ways that establishing the planet as LV426 would ruin continuity?

Ruin is too extreme a term.

There may be some planetwide cataclysm that destroys the atmosphere, levels mountains, wipes out all life, vaporizes the waterways, shrinks and reshapes the Juggernaut - reducing its size above ground, but expanding it below ground (but leaves it and its cargo otherwise unscathed), all in less than 18 years.

As I said above, if he wants to change stuff, he can - even if it defies the established lore. It'll be up to others to sort the mess out.

Oh, and the derelict on LV-426 was shot down before prometheus left for LV-223

Shot down?

Yup

Yeah I wouldn't pay any attention to that nonsense (though I do agree the Derelict has been on LV-426 for a very long time).

Sadly, Fox officially said the story for Aliens Colonial Marines was Canon.

It was dropped from being canon sometime ago.

S.M,
A good summary of your argument. I do see where you are coming from however if Ridley DID want to make this LV426, it wouldn't be difficult to come up with rational explanations for each of the issues you mentioned (with exception to the ship size thing. He'd just have to gloss over that, and I can't really see many being upset about it except for those who grew attached to the idea it's a different ship).

Myrddin365,
Where do we get an indication the derelict space craft was "shot down". Also who is to say the Juggernaut against the mountains in AC wasn't already there. Does it have to be the same ship Shaw and David arrived in?

I should also note here that the files indicate that David is the only one who knows about LV426 and as such (especially in the context of the file contents) it would make sense for David to mislead Shaw and go to LV426 rather than "Paradise".

Riddles and his writers could come up with anything they want to try and make it work - whether it stands up to scrutiny is another matter.

@S.M didn't realize they'd dropped it. I just know they added that Easter Egg in collusion with the Prometheus team. Feel free to disregard the hologram. All other info points to a derelict too old to be that one on LV-426. 

S.M,

Agreed. Some crafty writing would be required in order to make it all fit. Making LV426 the AC location is potentially a high risk move if not managed carefully.

I'm also curious about how messy Paglen's script was. Unless he has credentials that extend beyond what is indicated on IMDB, I would assume he's fairly inexperienced. Though perhaps this is why they hired him. Someone who wasn't jaded by the industry.

Either way, the rewrites themselves could lead to logical inconsistencies. If they move in the LV426 direction, it may be the result of multiple people the building off a rookie script.

Still John Logan is a good writer. I could see him resolving many of the problems if he had to. And considering this is a science fiction film, all writers can pull the advanced technology card. Science fiction which takes place in the future is always allowed to push the envelope when it comes to creatively filling logic gaps since it allows for fictional technology.

I just don't think they are telling the story that a lot of people think they will on this site. Too many people are obsessed with David going all "mad scientist."  We actually have no idea what David is like when he isn't taking orders directly from Peter Weyland. 

Two things we can bet on with a high degree of probability

1: Paradise is NOT LV-426.

2: David neither creates nor recreates the Xenos. He doesn't need to, they are already around.

One thing I choose to believe: David brought about the Neo infestation, but only in an attempt to save or avenge Shaw.

Myrddin365

I'm actually unconvinced we can bet on anything with high probability. So much is up in the air. But we will see when the time is right. One thing I can say is that if David is given warm fuzzies about Shaw, that will need to be handled very carefully. That could go cheesy fast and push a lot of people away.

They already set up his warm fuzzies for Shaw in Prometheus. It's not ambiguous. The high probability items I mentioned fit the established facts of the franchise. Ignoring them is not a great basis for a reasonable theory on our part or effective story telling on RS's.

Myrddin365
I can see how one could conclude warm fuzzies on David's part due to his watching Shaw's dreams, caring for her in the infirmary when she was impregnated, and his seeming to move his loyalties to her once Weyland dies.

We should remember however that he is a machine running on complex algorithms. Additionally, misdirection is a great story telling technique. Ridley would be doing the story telling a service in leading us to believe David has grown to care for Shaw only to later reveal he did not care for her at all and was merely using her as a means to an end.