Ridley Scott on the problem with Sci-fi

@Michelle Johnston, I like how you keep using references to Lawrence of Arabia. And judging of your ideas I might get a hint where this might go, but I'm hoping you will have inspiration to do something good with it ... 

@ignorantGuy

The point about L of A is a good one because the principle overall is to take an idea that was hinted at in Prometheus and flesh it out. So if David is very familiar with the movie we have potentially only seen a small amount of its general allegorical impact on the tale and in particular how David would view his experiences in Prometheus : Paradise. However to return to Prometheus T E Lawrence was horribly manipulated by the establishment and David would see in Peter Weyland's highly manipulative behaviour the ghost of Dryden et all and would be determined to deal with what was to come and what he learnt in his own way. Oddly enough the intelligence he gathers (for himself) then plays into the repositioning of the story on the planetoid where David responding to the revelation of her healing kindness then takes her into his confidence. David was provided with emotional protocols something later models were denuded of that is why he reacted emotionally to Peter Weylands first instructions and every subsequent transaction, this is why I believe Elizabeths treatment of him had lasting impact.

My David is the David we see glimpsed in the Crossing and that together with the new information that David and Elizabeth find out on the planetoid leads directly into his more circumspect behaviour when he arrives at ... .....-.. . 

I take your point I want to be grounded in the story of Prometheus and its themes but not WEIGHED down by it. 

Seems a interesting list of Scenes Michelle i look forwards to when you begin and complete your project.

"I can think of a good many ways in which they could pass 120 minutes without resorting to bringing in yet another mission to be killed off and most importantly let go of all the A L I E N tropes"

I certainly think a lot of this could have Panned out as such, i think the Problem is Gauging what the Majority of Fans would WANT...   You can get movies with Few Characters that really can WORK if they are done right.   There is a lot of Dynamic that could have been explored with David and Dr Shaw...  

Regarding the lack of Human Characters and Translations... i think this was a difficult thing to consider for FOX/Ridley Scott...  But it does not mean we would have to bring Humans from Earth into the Subject.

We see those Planet 4 Engineers were much more Human looking rather than the more Fearsome Military Types we saw in Prometheus.. and so we could imagine the kind of Culture these beings had, the Bombardment Scene came across as though these beings were NOT just Aggressive $^&$%&* as Ridley Scott called the Engineers after Prometheus.  so  you could create Characters to connect with from Engineers if some are portrayed in a more Benevolent Way or are put in Jeopardy.    David could have been a Translator/Narrator but there is NOTHING to stop a Plot Device Existing were Dr Shaw comes across or is given some Technology that allows her to be able to Understand the Engineers.   Weyland had invented the Dream/Vision Visor  and so who knows if the Engineers could have a similar Technology that allowed them to communicate with the various Races they Seed/Visit... like some Telepathic Link.

I think the route they took with Alien Covenant brought the Engineers too closer to Home, which could cause some Contradictions.. and In-continuity to the Franchise.   David and Dr Shaw could have Traveled to a Engineer World that was THOUSANDS of Light Years away, and came across Not Only Engineers but other HUMANOIDS as i have said a few times on here, which goes in relation to Prometheus and some comments RS had made...   Is EARTH the only World where Humans had been seeded? In the Context to our SPACE GARDENERS there could have been MANY worlds...

so we could have explored a World with Human Characters or Humanoids, who are Far Far away from Earth... just as in Battle Star Galactica we have another Race of Humans Far Far away from Earth.. which the Newer TV Series Expanded on more.. and also explored in Caprica..

I think a Problem may have been it would be a bit Tedious to have Dr Shaw not understand these beings, and having David to Translate, and have the Engineers or other Humans Speak Engineer and we have Sub-Titles..   It would be too much of a Coincidence if these beings SPOKE English....   But we could have had a Piece of Technology at some point used on Dr Shaw where she can then understand/speak their Language and then we at a certain point ONCE she is incorporated to this device or it affects her Brain..  We then hear the Engineers or other Humanoids in English.

So i dont think it was Necessary to Shoe-Horn in a Plot were Planet 4 was so close, just so that Humans could be brought into the Plot at the Expense of Dr Shaw and the Engineers.

So it will be interested Michelle to see/read your ideas ;)

My Prometheus 2 revolved around 55-60% based on the Company and what happens on that side of the Story, it was then about 25-30% about David and Dr Shaw... which would have covered a few things including Flash Backs from both their Past... with about 10-15% about the Engineers and Flash Backs...

i would have been setting up more about the Engineers for the 2nd Movie Sequel which would have covered David and Dr Shaws arrival at Paradise, while setting up a side plot to the Company's Mission to LV-223 arriving...   which would have allowed a 4th Movie to Connect David and Engineers back to LV-223.

@BigDave

A couple of points.

My vision, as was the original intent, is to move substantially away from the mode and mood of an Alien film. As we know they never reconciled how closely narratively related P. should be to A. constantly shifting back and forth. My view is you absolutely nail the connection which has some story telling value and then move on.

2) You make a very good point about LV223 and once again we know the story was originally set on LV426. You have repeatedly made reference to how LV 223 cannot be left out of the story it is to big a lose end in terms of the residual knowledge of the Weyland Corporation - I deal with that to but not in away you expect.

Now when I write this up I will be looking very critically not at it's plausibility but as to whether it "feels" right. I am hopeful as I  keep on playing the images back and dialogue back and forth that it will work.

As to the larger audience and whether the kind of story I envisage would have sold so as not to give the game away I can think of one recent science fiction film that operates in the same mode but the "pure"AVP type audience certainly would not like it.

@ignorantGuy & BigDave

Thanks both for your remarks. I have 41 days in the same location in New Zealand beginning the 27th November. Thats when I aim to sit down and write up the ideas. I will get back to you both when its ready to be shared. In the meantime I am constantly brain storming. The over arching story is all there. I love the idea of saying "what does that mean" and find the answer comes out of nowhere !!