Who would you choose to breathe some fresh air into the "Alien" franchise?
Decs (Daniel Castillo S.)
MemberOvomorphMay-31-2019 2:51 AMHey guys. Just like I said in the last thread I opened, I searched a little bit to see if someone had opened a discussion such as this before but didn’t see any, at least recently (there should really be a “Search Thread” function in this forum).
So, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about who would be an ideal candidate to breathe some fresh air into the “Alien” franchise, given the whole deal with Disney acquiring Fox and all the new projects that the acquisition is generating. I’ve thought of a few candidates that I think “COULD” make a great “Alien” movie, and I would really like to hear yours. I’m guessing some of my candidates are kinda obvious but anyways, here I go…
Alex Garland: This would probably would be my top choice right now. From his scriptwriting work in films like “28 Days Later”, “Sunshine” and “Dredd”, to his directorial efforts in “Ex Machina” (one of my all-time favorites) and “Annihilation”, I think this guy´s work has been consistently excellent, and I'm pretty sure he could do an AMAZING “Alien” movie, full of beautiful visuals, interesting characters, suspenseful and nail biting sequences, gruesome deaths, intelligent story and just everything you would expect from a good “Alien” film.
Matthew Vaughn: This is one of the few directors of which I can say I have watched his whole filmography and literally every movie he´s made I think is awesome (Layer Cake, Star Dust, Kick Ass, X-Men First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle); they´re all incredibly entertaining, with well-defined characters, memorable visuals and action sequences, some gruesome deaths and totally unexpected plot twists. Even though he hasn’t dealt much with sci fi (except for “X-Men: First Class” I guess) I would LOVE to see what he would do with an “Alien” movie.
Denis Villeneuve: This guy has done some amazing movies with really dark subjects handled in an intelligent and very adult way, and lately he’s been doing awesome work in the sci fi genre. As I understand, “Blade Runner 2049” it’s a very good movie that was incredibly well received by critics (I can’t say because I haven’t got around to watch it yet) so, maybe he could do something similar to another seminal Ridley Scott classic?
Gore Verbinsky: I really love directors who are versatile… I don’t see anything wrong in directors who only do one genre like horror or sci fi or romance, but when I see a director that excels in wildly different kind of movies, I always think of how incredibly hard that must be to achieve, and I think you can say that about the guy who made awesome movies such as “The Ring”, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy, “The Weather Man” and “Rango” (I haven’t watched “A Cure for Wellness” just yet but I’ve heard very good things about it). This guy has done goofy comedy, nail biting horror, action adventure, drama, you name it. I think it would be SUPER interesting to see what he would do with the “Alien” franchise.
Guillermo del Toro: Well, I don’t think I have to talk much about this guy cause he’s pretty well established now, especially since he won the Oscar for Best Director for last year’s “The Shape of Water”. It goes without saying he´s incredibly adept at making horror movies with awesome looking creatures and practical effects (Mimic, Blade 2, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Hellboy 2), interesting characters, gross out sequences and emotional depth to the stories.
I think it would be super ironic if he would get involved in an “Alien” film, given that, as I assume many people in this forum knows, for years he tried to get off the ground his project for making the movie “At The Mountains of Madness” based on Lovecraft’s story, and it was “Prometheus” that put the last nail in the coffin for that project given the great similarities the two projects shared with one another.
Duncan Jones: I think both “Moon” and “Source Code” were absolutely awesome sci fi movies, and despite the fact that his last couple of movies weren’t nearly as well received as the aforementioned two, I think this guy is really talented and I have the feeling he would do a great “Alien” film if he’s given the chance.
Neil Blomkamp: Well, I know this guy has quite a few haters, in part because of the incredibly negative response his last movie garnered (which I think was warranted for the most part, because “Chappie” was indeed a mess in my opinion), and in part because supposedly, according to some people with insider knowledge, his proposed script for his “Alien 5” project that would retcon “Alien 3” was really subpar, an excuse to provide fan service to the millions of “Alien” fans who were dissatisfied with all of the sequels and prequels after “Aliens”.
Still, as many other people, I really think “District 9” was an awesome movie (and to a lesser extent “Elysium” too) and he obviously has a strong love for sci fi and the “Alien” franchise, so I personally would really like to see what he could conjure up from the material if he was allowed to do the movie he wanted to do.
So, who would be your pick and why?
BigDave
MemberDeaconMay-31-2019 8:41 AMWelcome... and i give this a proper reply at some point over the Weekend.
I will say First... they need to find what PLOT for the Next Alien Movie, regardless of it being a Prequel Continuation a Alien Resurrection Continuation or something else.
ONCE... they have the Kind of Idea/Plot for what they want to do, then you can start to think which Director would suit that Kind of Movie, because Each Director has Strengths and Weaknesses depending what kind of Movie they are working on.
For Instance i dont think a Ridley Scott would be good for a Starship Troopers all Action Re-boot... but he could do well with a Thought Provoking Terminator Movie.
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
Kongzilla
MemberChestbursterMay-31-2019 2:36 PMDenis Villeneuve
or
Neil Blomkamp
I liked Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049.
Modern Medicine
MemberOvomorphMay-31-2019 11:41 PMI’ve been having the same questions of who should do the music (it’s something I do).
Lone
MemberPraetorianJun-01-2019 8:54 AMI don't think it matters much who directs. The main problem up to now has been studio/producer interference, meddling with the script & forced changes.
"Let The Cosmic Incubation Begin" ~ H.R. Giger
setaverde
MemberFacehuggerJun-01-2019 4:53 PMhttps://m.imdb.com/name/nm0779524/filmotype/director?ref_=m_nmfm_1
Luke Scott.
'Morgan' 2016 is a good movie.
setaverde
MemberFacehuggerJun-01-2019 5:03 PMPaul Verhoeven
Some films of him:
| 1985 | Flesh and Blood | |||
| 1987 | RoboCop | |||
| 1990 | Total Recall | |||
| 1992 | Basic Instinct | |||
| 1995 | Showgirls |  |
||
| 1997 | Starship Troopers | |||
| 2000 | Hollow Man |
Peter Hyams
NTFS
MemberOvomorphJun-03-2019 4:06 AMGuillermo del Toro has a slightly similar style to Ridley Scott.
Film director, Guillermo del Toro, discusses his lifelong fascination with monsters (Link)
* Silence Means Security *
Kongzilla
MemberChestbursterJun-03-2019 8:06 AMWhen I first saw the Sacrificial Engineer in Prometheus, I thought about Lord of the Rings. So, yeah, Peter Jackson - can make a good epic Prometheus-like story.
BigDave
MemberDeaconJun-03-2019 2:01 PMMy post was a bit of a joke... but i do like Peter Jackson, i think some of the EPIC Movies with Large Sets, Visuals he has done very well.
I think as i said before it really depends on what the STORY is First, then its a case of which Directors would suit the PLOT/TYPE of Alien Movie that would be Produced.
I think BUDGET is another Factor, some Directors can work well with a Tight Budget, some are used to LARGE Budgets and so the Scope/Plot and Budget all have to be taken into Account when trying to figure out WHO would be the right man for the Job.
some Interesting Candidates Mentioned However (in this thread).
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
setaverde
MemberFacehuggerJun-03-2019 2:38 PMAh ah ah @BigDave. Frodo and Sam on a Journey to discover the derelict, exploring the mountains and valleys of the planet Lv-426.
Ps: i love Peter Jackson filmography and my choices are the worse.
setaverde
MemberFacehuggerJun-03-2019 2:46 PM
Well, i have to confess. I AM a big Fan of 'Alien 3' and i love David Fincher filmography.
BigDave
MemberDeaconJun-03-2019 3:09 PM"Frodo and Sam on a Journey to discover the derelict"
Nah i was thinking more of the Space Jockey Race ;)
This was Peter Jacksons First Movie, and he played a Star Role in it too, if you have not seen it, then its worth checking out..... its not a Serious Movie... more a Alien Splatter Comedy Fest.. but Entertaining None the Less ;)
It even has a Connection to maybe the Derelict Incident, and look out for a similar scene to the Deacon Birth ;)
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
Decs (Daniel Castillo S.)
MemberOvomorphJun-03-2019 10:18 PMLeto
Cool! I’ve had “Blade Runner 2049” on my watch list for some time now, but I want to see the original “Blade Runner” again first before I watch the sequel because I don’t remember it very well. The thing is, as I understand there are like three or four different versions of “Blade Runner” and I’m not really sure which one to look out for or which is the best (I guess that is subjective though).
By the way, at the time when I wrote this thread, I hadn’t seen “Arrival” yet… I literally have been wanting to see it ever since it came out like three years ago but well… Life and a million inconveniences got in the way, but I finally saw it a couple of days ago and man oh man… What a wonderful movie. It now stands alongside “Contact” for me as the best serious alien contact movie of all time (I say serious because I also enjoy big noisy and fun alien invasion movies like “Independence Day” or “War of the Worlds”).
So yeah, this guy is crazy talented and I’m pretty sure he would do a great “Alien” movie if given the chance.
Modern Medicine
Oh cool mate… so, who do you think should do the music for a new “Alien” film?
Lone
Well, I do see your point, and that’s true to an extent, but I do think it matters who the director is… A lot of times whether the studio meddles to much with a project or not I think is has a lot to do with the director in charge of said project; I assume if a director is very respected, has a strong will and a very well defined vision for the movie, it would be a whole lot more difficult for the studio to mess with the project than it would be dealing with an inexperienced director who has maybe a lot of insecurities and doubts and has to prove himself to the world.
Setaverde
You know, Luke Scott is a really an interesting choice, in great part because he is Ridley Scott´s son. That reminded me that just right now, Jason Reitman is directing a new “Ghostbusters” movie, which was the seminal work of his father Ivan Reitman.
Regarding “Morgan”, I saw it, and I think it showed Luke has potential, but as a whole I didn’t quite like it. To me it´s one of those sci-fi movies which has a really interesting premise and set up, only to find itself at a loss later on regarding what to do with that premise.
I feel like that happens a lot with sci-fi movies, I’ve seen quite a few films with really interesting premises that halfway through it’s as if the writers didn’t know where the hell to take the story and the movie just falls apart before reaching the finish line… Some movies that I’ve felt suffered from that same problem where "Limitless", "In Time", "Repo Men" (2010), "Self/less" and "Chappie"; they all had interesting set ups and premises that the movie didn’t quite know how to handle past the midpoint. “Morgan” to me fits squarely with that group of movies.
Still, it doesn’t mean Luke doesn’t have some great movies in his future, I hope he continues to work and that he can have a career as successful as the one his father has had.
About Paul Verhoeven and Peter Hyams… They’re really great and interesting choices (specially Verhoeven.,. I would LOVE to see an “Alien” movie directed by him, if anything it would be crazy as all hell and it won’t be boring AT ALL lol) but I think they’re way too old now, Verhoeven is 81 and Hyams is 76… Although Ridley Scott is 82 and he´s still kicking and screaming so you never know I guess.
And about David Fincher, yeah I thought about him also but given his story with “Alien 3” I’m absolutely certain he would NEVER get involved in an “Alien” related project again so I didn’t mention him for that reason.
NTFS
Yeah, you could say Guillermo del Toro and Ridley Scott share some things in common. Again, I think that Del Toro would do a great and terrifying “Alien” movie if given the chance.
BigDave
Hey Peter Jackson is a really interesting choice, I haven’t thought of him… Maybe because I relate him way more with the fantasy genre than with sci fi but it’s still a really interesting choice.
I couple of people I would add to my list would be Alfonso Cuarón, who made the awesome sci-fi movies “Children of Men” and “Gravity”, and David Robert Mitchell, the director of “It Follows”.
dk
MemberTrilobiteJun-03-2019 11:27 PMTo the OT- I don't think it is who but it is instead what.
The Alien franchise started out as sheer sci fi terror/horror and became more action heavy basically. With the exception of Alien 3, it never quite captured the gritty terror of Alien (and I love the entire Quadrilogy).
I have noticed that the Resident Evil game franchise had a similar evolution and became a convoluted action game.....until it got back to its gritty roots with RE7 and scared the Sh"t out of gamers again.
If another movie comes out, regardless of the path, it needs to scare on a visceral level. Anything else seems a waste of time imo.
SuperAlien
MemberXenomorphJun-03-2019 11:56 PMI think Guillermo del Toro is too gothic to make a good Alien film.
"He survived, he’s now in Disneyland in Orlando, and no way am I going back there. How did he end up in Disneyland? I saw him in Disneyland, Jesus Christ!"
Xenotaris
MemberPraetorianJun-04-2019 3:52 AMwait wasn't the first Alien movie a gothic-lovecraftian horror movie? Guillermo del Toro would be a good choice but Alex Garland's Annihilation scared the shit out of me
BigDave
MemberDeaconJun-04-2019 6:20 AM@Leto
LOL yeah.... maybe the Space Jockey could be a Hobbit... it fits Perfectly because the Space Jockey does seem to be Shrinking every time we are shown him/them.
Behold Peter Jacksons... Hobbit Jockey
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
Kongzilla
MemberChestbursterJun-04-2019 7:17 AMSpace Hobbit ;)
Or it could be Gandalf. Space Gandalf! Oh... wait... This is Saruman! Yeaaah... And alien eggs is a new kind of Uruk-Hai.
NTFS
MemberOvomorphJun-04-2019 9:00 AMDaniel Pemberton has composed the Seven Worlds Theme which fits the upcoming Alien movie perfectly.
* Silence Means Security *
NTFS
MemberOvomorphJun-04-2019 9:07 AMMarco Beltrami as a composer did a very good job for the movie Hellboy.
* Silence Means Security *
NTFS
MemberOvomorphJun-04-2019 9:21 AMFreelancer Soundtrack - Anticipation (Link)
Freelancer Soundtrack - Dangerous Chase (Link)
Freelancer Soundtrack - Nomad Dyson Sphere Battle (Link)
Freelancer Soundtrack - Solemn and Grave (Link)
James Hannigan's work on Freelancer is remarkable.
* Silence Means Security *
SuperAlien
MemberXenomorphJun-04-2019 10:25 AMDenis Villeneuve is busy filming Dune until late next year. He is the only one except Ridley Scott I would trust for an Alien movie.
Please stop mentioning Blomkamp, it was an accident, it will never happen. Good riddance.
"He survived, he’s now in Disneyland in Orlando, and no way am I going back there. How did he end up in Disneyland? I saw him in Disneyland, Jesus Christ!"
NTFS
MemberOvomorphJun-05-2019 12:55 PM
* Silence Means Security *
Ingeniero
MemberPraetorianJun-12-2019 12:01 PMI believe Geena Davis would breathe some fresh air into the franchise.
This is, of course, under the director she has worked with before in Thelma and Louise.
BigDave
MemberDeaconJun-12-2019 3:59 PMLOL why not!
Maybe by the time we get to the Sequel, she could also play a Character and by then Davids Hair has grown again and he has got even more CRAZY! ;)
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
Decs (Daniel Castillo S.)
MemberOvomorphJun-12-2019 8:27 PMHey NTFS! So I heard most of the music you posted, there was some really cool stuff there.
The Seven Worlds Theme (Link)
I think this track was great and beautiful, but I felt it was maybe too like… hopeful? For the “Alien” universe. By the way the visuals on that video are amazing and I see that commercial was directed by none other than Ridley Scott himself.
I tried to listen to the Marco Beltrami songs but all of them say "Video Unavailable", it looks like they were erased. I see by his IMDB he has scored A TON of movies, a lot of which I have watched and there are some really good ones like Scream, The Faculty, Blade 2, Hellboy, I Robot, Snowpiercer and A Quiet Place; I see he specializes in thrillers and horror. I really liked how “A Quiet Place” handled the music and sounds; the other ones it’s been a long time since I saw them so I really don’t remember their scores, but I remember having greatly enjoyed the movies as a whole.
James Hannigan - Anticipation
This was really really cool, this one sounded to me way more fitting to “Alien” than the Seven Worlds one.
James Hannigan - Dangerous Chase
Well the name of this one is really self-explanatory lol... It totally sounds like the music of an exciting chase sequence, I think this one also could work really well on an “Alien” movie.
Zack Hemsey - Vengeance
I really really liked this one too... It didn’t feel very "Alien"ish to me although I guess it might work like towards the end when the climax is already done and the end credits are about to roll out. I see that it was used in the movie "The Equalizer", I saw that movie but I didn’t remember the music; really powerful stuff.
Zack Hemsey - the way
This was really intense too. For some reason it reminded me of “Inception”, and funny enough somewhere in the comments of the YouTube video someone said he actually composed something for that movie.
Shpongle - Around The World In A Tea Daze
This one was nice but I felt it was way too much Zen like for an “Alien” movie… Out of all the ones you listed I think this is the one that feels less like "Alien" music to me, but it is a really beautiful tune nonetheless.
