Alien Covenant Super-Facehugger by Dominic Hailstone

Still from Alien Covenant - If I'm not mistaken, this is the super-facehugger:

Really like that Proto-Face Hugger, and indeed it looks like the Super-Face Hugger in that photo, thanks for the share ;)

You're welcome, BigDave.

Perhaps this is the most interesting part of the interview:

'Having said this I’m not sure I can blame Ridley like other people do. I understand what it’s like working for a big studio and the complexities involved with that. He did his job pretty damn well as far as I was concerned. The problem was the script.'

Indeed, i said this a number of times that ULTIMATELY the Studio has the biggest say.

Visually RS does a great job, he misses out on the odd flaw in detail, and certainly Scale problems, but he really is only as good as a Script is.

It's incredible how wonderful all of the concept art for AC was and how lame the chosen ideas for the actual film are. RS has to go his present work is just so blah compared to the options that were presented to him. 

I think it depends on how we view what we saw in Alien Covenant, and if the actual reasons for what we got are the same or similar to what i assume below....

They was going with the route of David Creating the Xenomorph, and if there really is just 3 Movies until we get to the events of ALIEN and Alien Covenant is the First Step in these Prequels, i guess its a Question of if the Alien Covenant Xenomorph was identical to the ALIEN one, then its a question of how many times can THIS Monster be portrayed on screen NOW we finaly see it as it was in ALIEN, how often can they use this Monster prior to ALIEN and so would having 3 movies with the Xenomorph from ALIEN be a good idea?

Going the route that the Xenomorph Origins are via DAVID is a Bold Plot, one that has certainly displeased more than it has pleased, HOWEVER... with the AC Xenomorph looking more Organic than the one in ALIEN does leave the DOOR OPEN to change the Plot/Origin it leaves it more open to show that David simply just RE-CREATED the Xenomorph, or have the Engineers/Related Race (Space Jockey) involved int EVOLVING Davids Creation to get to the Classic Xenomorph from 1979.

If the Design of the Xenomorph was exactly the same as in ALIEN then it would pretty much limit the options to the Xenomorph being 100% Davids Creation, as opposed to the design they gave us leaves room for it to be a Re-Creation or have it require some more Tweaking/Engineering to get to the Classic Xenomorph.

The Faster Gestation/Growth rate was a bit different to given LORE, and would fit better with something that has been EVOLVED/RE-CREATED if the Xenomorph gets Evolved to the Classic One but takes a Longer Gestation then would this not be a Step-Back?  Unless its explained that a Truly Bio-Mechanical Xenomorph would take longer to Gestate than a Organic Xenomorph due to the Bio-Mechanical Elements.   The CHEST-BUSTER again was a strange one, it would look like something that has Evolved from the Classic Kind, as if this Xenomorph Evolves to become the like Serpent-like Chest Buster from the Franchise it could look a little less Evolved, but maybe the Classic Chest Buster design is better suited to Survival while it grows to Adult, something which the Xenomorph in AC does not need as it grows very fast.

Ultimately the real reason for the changes i think, are that the NEW Chest Buster was designed to mimic its Adult Form, and designed like this so that they can show it COPY David so that we can see DAVID is acting like the PUPPET MASTER/CREATOR  I feel the Gestation and Growth rates were Necessary to fit within the time restraints of the Movie and have the Plot not get DE-railed from pacing, because a traditional Gestation and Growth Rate would mean a extra 12-16 hours for the Covenant Crew to be stranded on Planet 4 inside that Cathedral Building.

The NEOMORPH i actually liked the Designs and how it was Procreated, i feel the IDEA/CONCEPT was good but i feel in some Shots the CGI was just not as good as it could have been the same can be said with the XENOMORPH too.

The ENGINEERS looked different to what we was shown in Prometheus, they certainly looked more Human, and Varied more in Size,  was this just a Oversight?  To save on  Budget for such a Short Scene that going the WHOLE Prometheus Makeup for the  Engineers would have been more costly and time consuming that the way RS had decided to show them in Alien Covenant was more convenient?

But this does leave some Visual Differences, the whole Lack of Bio-Mechanical Aesthetic and Technology apart from the Docking Ship and Juggernaught, is something else that disappointed some fans, but these with those Engineers and RS comments does leave it  very open to have us introduced to another Faction/Caste of Engineers and explain the Bio-Mechanical Technology, it also leaves the LV-223 Engineers as being Genetically Engineered and thus those Planet 4 Engineers versions of a Replicant/David.

So these changes can lead to a interesting way to explore/explain why there was this DIFFERENCE

So these differences do allow for Plot Twists and Explanations to allow for something different to be explored and introduced over the next TWO movies.

If the Engineers looked like the Sacrificial Scene in Prometheus, and they had more Bio-Mechanical HR Giger Aesthetic to their City and Technology, but they was STILL DESTROYED by David and if the XENOMORPH looked exactly like the one in ALIEN then these could kind of reduce the potential for some interesting Plots, during the NEXT TWO movies were they could give us a Explanation/Reason why the Aesthetic was different between the Planet 4 Engineers and LV-223 and likewise the Planet 4 Xenomorph and LV-426

Sadly I think its all oversight and lack of care of the details at this point. Look at the plot and script its all a jumbled senile mess. 

Indeed i think there is good proof for this...

But the inconsistencies do open up something to expand upon to explore the reasons for differences, we can only hope some get addressed but then  who knows exactly what they will show and we may indeed have to ignore flaws and ACCEPT the Engineers are all ONE and the SAME and one of our 7ft Bald Humanoids is sitting in the Space Jockey Chair despite the Evident Size Difference, the same will likely apply with the Derelict and its CARGO bay... there may be no explanation at all.

I would not be surprised if we was shown a 7ft odd Engineer climbs into his Juggernaught, and we then see the Face Hugger and then the Engineer awaken and head towards LV-426 before we get the Credits on the last in the series.  Where we then just have to accept a 7ft Engineer + Juggernaught and its Cargo Hold is what gives us the Space Jockey and Derelict.

I just hope if we ever get there then they will look at the DIFFERENCES and come up with a Explanation for them.

Bigdave, that is likely how the prequels will end. I'm fine with that if like you said there are  A LOT  of explanations and if we one day get a prequel to Prometheus finally explaining the Silo etc. 

I think it depends how they go about it, the Derelict could be tackled in a number of ways, and they dont need to really Spoon Feed it but give us a clue...

We could even see Engineers return to Planet 4, discover what David has done... show us them sending ONE ship to Intercept with Walter taken with them, while showing the other Engineers load the Eggs on Planet 4 onto a Engineer Ship, show the Pilot enter the Navigation System and show a close up of him selecting a Moon that surrounds a Gas Giant.

From here they show the Engineer get into his Pilot Chair, and then they just have to do one of TWO things,  show a kind of warning go off, something that causes the Engineer to leave his Chair, then even jump to a scene of him waking up and running to the Pilot Chair...   or instead of him going to investigate, just show a Face Hugger Escaping from one of the Eggs.

They need to SHOW no more, but this should let us know that this SHIP ends up crashing on LV-426 but it leaves it that little bit ambiguous.   The same kind of thing as above could instead be shown as far as a Engineer and the Eggs being moved onto a Engineer Ship when a Engineer Ship has arrived at Origae-6 instead.

I dont think we need the entire step by step, procedure.  But then some could still complain they have not got the Answers, and if we got a STEP-BY-STEP Spoon Fed Event of them taking Davids Eggs, then it leaves no room for Ambiguity and so fans would be up in arms that we are shown that for 100% the Derelict has Davids Creation on it.

There are a number of differences, in-continuities as covered in other Posts, that have to be addressed  but its not to say any would be addressed or changed to fit the indescrepencies. 

*Xenomorph Aesthetic differences (Bio-Mechanical differences)

*Derelict/Juggernaught Aesthetic differences (Bio-Mechanical differences) 

*Space Jockey Size

*Cargo Hold Size in relation to the Derelict

*What becomes of LV-223 by the time of ALIEN/ALIENS

we could also ask the same of Planet 4 and Origae-6, a part of me had been wondering with RS plans and comments and how  the prequels and plans could contradict Aliens on-wards, i wondered if RS was going for a Reboot of the Franchise after ALIEN?

Exactly, I agree that the result of them being couples was underwhelming to what it could have been. Unfortunately this was made worse because of a lack of any character that we could feel something for and support. Ripley worked because we could feel something for her, AC did not have any of that.

"… more just to get an even mix of men and women…"

If that is the case it just made Covenant worse. Characters must be well written and serve a purpose other than just being killed. It does not matter if a character is a man or woman, tall or short what ever if we can not identify with it (as long as the character is not meant to be the bad person I mean).

"Here you could barely remember that she was a rock climber in the first place!"

LMAO! Yeah we did not get any backstory to her character, that was just lame. Did they ever shown her as being a rock-climber? I do not remember any scene like that in the movie.

Ridley is good with the visuals but he should not be involved in the writing of the script.

I hope that the Engineers are more involved in getting the classic Xeno than what David is. There is still room for having it so David re-created a version from what he found in some Engineer writings.

The Engineers looked different in AC compared to Prometheus, I think that was strange if they are supposed to be the same. Maybe they looked like the Engineer's lost cousins but not like the LV-223 Engineer (skin-tone).The lack of bio-mechanical things never bothered me but I understand if some people did not like that.

That's indeed some bigass facehugger.

From Adam Savage's visit: https://youtu.be/i_kr8mAM5Dg?t=260

@Thoughts_Dreams

It would be interesting to see what role everyone had in the Production of this movie as it has gone through a lot of work, from ideas Ridley Scott and Linedloff would have discussed for a sequel, to then brainstorming these with Paglen, to Green then re-working those ideas..  Right until the Direction that Harper and Logan had taken.

You can be sure RS would have a broad idea of what he wants and the writers then take this and expand it and go back to RS who will have his input on what to change/keep but we also have to remember that those at FOX also have a HUGE say in what goes in or out of the story.   I dont think how the Characters are written can be RS fault, only fault is maybe as far as reading the drafts and agreeing with how they are laid out, but the back ground for the Characters, and Plot Elements they will be involved in you can be sure RS had a lot of input.

The Engineers differences could be interesting, because Ridley Scott claimed those Planet 4 (Alien Covenant) Engineers are the Originals.  Does this mean all the Engineers in Prometheus are not the Originals?   Maybe there is some oversight at play here to how they looked, and so maybe the Sacrificial Engineer and Planet 4 Engineers are intended to be the same...  but maybe RS comments suggest the LV-223 Suited Engineers are not quite like the ORIGINALS

We will have to see how/if they ever explore the Engineers in future and see if we are shown their are differences.

Thanks for the repost guys, but next time maybe ask my permission.

MU/TH/UR 9000

I am the only person who is responsible for the share.

I always include the source of the articles in the posts, this thread contains it as well.

Of course, you're right, I should have informed you about it.

Thank you.

Thank you for the super facehugger images, Dark Nebula. That is a huge one!

If I'm not mistaken it has 24 legs - 2X4+2X8. Probably it was made for the Space Jockey. :)

@ati Yeah, an email would be appreciated. I work hard to do these interviews and obtain artwork, etc.

I would prefer a Yutani.blog affiliate member post my articles, I like to keep track of where I am mentioned. Thank you.

Another photo of the facehugger from the creature workshop

Also, take a look at the spider thing:

Spider-Neomorph concept design:

The Spider-Neomorph didn't get much exposure in Alien: Covenant because some things are just too scary. 

BD:

Sure, it could be a bit interesting who was responsible for what.

I just don’t understand how they can screw the story up twice in a row, how is that possible? One should think that they should have learned something from what we got in Prometheus, but nope.

Yeah probably but he should not be in charge of the writing because he does not seem to be good at it. Leave him for the designs of the ships and so on.

Fox probably has a lot of say about how the story shall be, that is my guess also. Remember that they want to make money so they will be interested in that part. Nah I don’t think that the weak characters are Scott’s fault either but I would not be surprised if he has got something to do with it, which is not to say that he does. Leave him out of it and let him focus on the visuals.

Hopefully they will answer that. I would like to see if the Engineers are one or if there are sub-parts of the Engineers or what ever it might be. They still have time to do what ever they want with that and considering how many different things that Scott says then who knows? It would be strange if they do not show us anything about the Engineers in the next movie.

I hope that we will see something like the spider face-hugger in the next movie. It has the potential to be nasty so we will see. Thanks Ati for posting this

Wow, Dark Nebula, thank you for the spider alien, it looks awesome!

The Spider Alien looks interesting, but what purpose would this be?

I can only think of it being similar to the Trilobite and by that some kind of Face Hugger type Organism and showing the Black Goo leads to a Face Hugger Type Organism... which means the Spider Face Hugger has to then INFECT a Host?

If this was the idea, no wonder they canned it simply maybe because it added another Cycle to the Life Cycle and they felt a Infection that leads directly to a Chest Buster type Organism (Chest Buster) would be more interesting.

Saying that Jon Spaights Holloway infection appeared as some kind of Trilobite like Creature to a degree, well with a Head and so like a Tentacles version of this Spider Alien... and Spaights Chest Buster evolved into something that looked different to its more Trilobite like Chest Buster Stage (did not act as a Face Hugger).

The spider concept is similar to the mutated ants on LV-223 from the Prometheus: Fire and Stone 1 comic, above. There are quite a few concepts found in the comics that made their way into Alien: Covenant.

Certainly do ;)