even though I think Prometheus sucked donkey balls*

Im still excited

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD9tqfCUr70[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VW6sg50Pk[/video]

actually whilst watching Babylon 5 sesaon 1 episode 19/20 a Voice in the Wilderness I realised that prometheus seems to have borrowed heavily from that episode

mystery planet, alien tunnels, mummified dead alien, chasing holograms, all felt very familiar

No action?
I got excited when she choked

Cool thread.

Edit: All I could think was Kenny Powers in space.
” No actually I don’t. I play real sports, not try to be the best at exercising!”

I watched the other trailer…. Damn

I got excited when she choked

I was hoping for another alien exploding out at dinner scene, but it wasn’t to be….

It looks a lot like Alien IMO, hope it is better than Prometheus which was a mess,

donkey balls

I think thats being kind!

This one already looks better.

It looks a lot like Alien a mash up of alien alien 2, Prometheus IMO, hope it is better than Prometheus which was but it will still probably end up being a mess,

Is what every one is thinking.

So if im reading the trailer correctly, there’s a new “David” on the Covenant mission and the hooded character we briefly see is probably the “old” dismembered David who’s managed to rebuild himself? Or maybe Shaw?

Nice little featurette I thought, it left me cautiously hopeful for the film (though I reckon Neill Blomkamp’s outing will be better).

Pfffftt..

I didn’t mind Prometheus, I missed the initial hype and caught it on Bluray long after most people were calling it a stinker, I forgave the silly moments in the script and the slightly odd story – what I couldn’t forgive was how the makers went to such massive lengths to make an ‘Aliens’ film that didn’t have the Aliens in it.

It felt like they were so angry about being forced to make it (it’s said that Ridley Scott had little interest in it, tried to sub out the directing to a TV ad director but was contracted to do it in exchange for green lighting something else) that they went out of there way to deliver the bare minimum of Alieness.

I hope this one is very good, I like Alien and love Aliens – but I’m already upset about this one. It looks like a kind of Alien reboot which will sit before Alien and after Prometheus- but we likely not reference either directly, and that could be good, but because of this film the people who own the Alien franchise pushed back Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) Aliens sequels, featuring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn from Aliens and forgetting about Alien3 the that seems like the better film to me.

Nice little featurette I thought, it left me cautiously hopeful for the film (though I reckon Neill Blomkamp’s outing will be better).

Unlikely to happen now, apparently.

Ain’t we dond dis ?

Looks like a Force Awakens style reboot whilst also a sequel/prequel. The kind of thing I would expect Ridley Scott not to do……

Looks like a Force Awakens style reboot whilst also a sequel/prequel.

It could be, but I don’t think we can assume anything from the prologue. About the only thing we know is it’s an ensemble cast. It’s just a short to set the scene, the actual film could go in any direction it likes; being colonists it could be a heartwarming film about the touching relationships between families far away from home. Erm, maybe.

The last I heard, the planet they’re going to colonise is the one seen in Prometheus, so by rights it’s a sequel to that if anything.

I’ve just thought, there is one plot hole here.

In Alien, were they not the first people to encounter the aliens? How’s that going to work if our merry band of heroes discover them earlier?

Cougar don’t they mention that other terra farmers had discovered bugs of huge size like cockroaches? Could be similar timelines or maybe it was covered up or Ripley hasn’t been found yet as she was drifting around for ages.

I’ve just thought, there is one plot hole here.

In Alien, were they not the first people to encounter the aliens? How’s that going to work if our merry band of heroes discover them earlier?

Could be as simple as ‘the company’ did know about the aliens, but didn’t tell anyone? At what point n Alien did the company know they wanted a specimen collected? After Ash reported back, or did they know about it when they woke the crew up for the ‘rescue mission’ to investigate the distress signal?

In Alien, were they not the first people to encounter the aliens? How’s that going to work if our merry band of heroes discover them earlier?

Maybe they thought they were – other encounters covered up?
I haven’t seen it for a while but IIRC the Company seems to know more about it than they tell the crew.

EDIT Dammit angeldust!

Could be similar timelines or maybe it was covered up or Ripley hasn’t been found yet as she was drifting around for ages.

Hmm, potentially. Prometheus was set 30 years before Alien, and I was assuming Covenant was set between the two. But in fact, it only has to be somewhere between Prometheus and Aliens, they’re the first colonists.

Ripley was adrift for 50 years and when she was found, LV-426 had had families living on it for “years.” That doesn’t leave a vast amount of time to establish other colonies if Covenant is post-Alien, unless we assume that other colonies were set up not long after.

Could be as simple as ‘the company’ did know about the aliens, but didn’t tell anyone?

Yeah, that’s a good point. Though – why would WU build a colony on LV-426 if they knew at that point that the aliens were there? Could be a breeding programme I suppose, but that doesn’t make sense when they sent the Sulaco to capture one for study.

I suppose we can assume WU knew of the aliens, but not much else. If Covenant wipe out all the aliens in their movie, they won’t know where any of them are until we trip over them in Alien. Does the Nostromo actually communicate back to Earth at any point to tell them what they’ve found, I don’t remember? If not, the first they’ll have heard of the presence there is when they defrost Ripley.

Does the Nostromo actually communicate back to Earth at any point to tell them what they’ve found, I don’t remember? If not, the first they’ll have heard of the presence there is when they defrost Ripley.

In Aliens they don’t seem to know anything about it other than what Ripley is telling them.

But apart from the Xenomorphs, in that Covenant clip they’re talking about some giant bugs that have been found – I’m sure in Aliens everyone is sceptical because no other life has been found yet?

It felt like they were so angry about being forced to make it (it’s said that Ridley Scott had little interest in it, tried to sub out the directing to a TV ad director but was contracted to do it in exchange for green lighting something else) that they went out of there way to deliver the bare minimum of Alieness.

Who could possibly imagine a bloke who makes TV ads making a decent fist of a film like Alien…

Perhaps this sequel will explain why in the future, despite the huge advances in technology, the IQ of humankind dropped so dramatically. I’m guessing it’s contagious since the Engineer woke up took one sniff and went mental. Still going to watch it though at least it will look beautiful.

Cougar – Moderator
I’ve just thought, there is one plot hole here.

Given the utter balls up they made of Prometheus I reckon if they just manage to have the one plot hole it’s a job well done.

atfer watching that, not feeling optimistic – retreads of Hitchcock, Wes Craven, Sam Rami and nods to Mr Ridley’s own back catalogue – at least mr fassbender is back playing Peter o toole 😀

Said that last time and stick by it…. Hopefully Danny McBride will be an early cocoon chest buster

So long as the Company keep to their ship staffing policy of a couple of scruffs doing it for the money, a captain capable of making bad decisions with gravitas, a cat, a neurotic guy, one or two ladies wearing only space-undies during emergencies and a wholesome type who turns out to be an evil robot

I’ll be happy enough.

^^^^

Do you think they might even arrange some jocks v nerds style tension on the mess deck? I’m not sure they’ve ever used that plot cliche before…

I have to say it all looks a bit tired. Alien was brilliant in the way it ramped up the tension with only glimpses of the creature. Jaws, albeit more by accident as the shark never properly worked, got it spot on and was the precursor to it.

With the new film, I watched the trailer and just came away feeling why would I bother going to see it. So Billy Crudup and the team on the landing craft will die early doors when it explodes. Any sense of tension or buy into the characters story arc is effectively lost for me. The Prometheus trailer was the same. Showing the best bits might be a marketing mans dream but a few mins into Prometheous and I found myself waiting for the engineer ship to crash.

The suggested follow up to Aliens with Ripley, Newt and Hicks is the film I would much rather see to be honest. All of the post Aliens films have been piss poor.

I’d much rather see Ridley Scott step away from the series and do more great films like The Martian.

Sorry. I don’t mean to appear grumpy but trailers showing too much of a film have a spoiler effect for me. Bring back voice over man with a few stills or shots from early in the film.

Cheers

Sanny

In Alien, were they not the first people to encounter the aliens? How’s that going to work if our merry band of heroes discover them earlier?

Everyone dies, would be my guess.

It’s going to be a let down isn’t it 🙁
The last good Alien film was Aliens. I don’t know what they can do to revive it and honestly think they should just leave it be. I’ll probably still watch it though.

So long as the Company keep to their ship staffing policy of a couple of scruffs doing it for the money, a captain capable of making bad decisions with gravitas, a cat, a neurotic guy, one or two ladies wearing only space-undies during emergencies and a wholesome type who turns out to be an evil robot

I’ll be happy enough.

You’ve almost described Red Dwarf there.

I liked Ms Theron in Prometheus

funkmasterp

I don’t know what they can do to revive it and honestly think they should just leave it be. I’ll probably still watch it though.

Bad as it was Prometheus did set up an obvious sequel premise which could have been interesting, maybe original. It looks as though they’ve thrown that out completely. The presence of Fassbender hints at some continuity but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his character turns out to be another android from the same range or the guy on which the android is modeled.

I suppose it pays to keep the creature’s origin somewhat vague or mysterious but six films in creating an explanation would be just about the only interesting or vaguely original thing they could do.

Sanny

Alien was brilliant in the way it ramped up the tension with only glimpses of the creature. Jaws, albeit more by accident as the shark never properly worked, got it spot on and was the precursor to it.

Alien is just a haunted house / monster movie set in space. There are a myriad of broadly similar films.

Despite its flawed execution, Prometheus explored some lofty concepts that were nothing short of spectacular. I’m hoping this will expand on that. However, so far it just looks like a remake of Alien.

I do think there is a lot of mileage left in the Alien universe, but it needs to be handled properly, and I’m not sure Scott is the man to do this, any more.

Spoiler!

mikey74

Despite its flawed execution, Prometheus explored some lofty concepts that were nothing short of spectacular. I’m hoping this will expand on that. However, so far it just looks like a remake of Alien.

There was nothing original about those lofty concepts though, ancient astronauts , alien terraformers manipulating ape dna etc to make people etc …..all old ideas.

I do think there is a lot of mileage left in the Alien universe, but it needs to be handled properly, and I’m not sure Scott is the man to do this, any more.

I don’t think he ever was. A lot of the wider universe hinted at in the film seems to have come from Dan O’Bannon and the production designers.

You may be right about the source of the concepts: the evidence certainly seems to support it.

I also agree that aliens and alien DNA etc aren’t exactly new concepts, but the Alien world is relatively unique and I don’t think it really matters if it’s borrowing concepts from elsewhere. There aren’t many films that act as a direct comparison to the Alien universe. Of course, I’m sure I’ve forgotten some films so I’m happy to be pointed in the right direction.

We all have to remember that Alien came out in 1979.

mikey74 – Member

You may be right about the source of the concepts: the evidence certainly seems to support it.

I also agree that aliens and alien DNA etc aren’t exactly new concepts, but the Alien world is relatively unique and I don’t think it really matters if it’s borrowing concepts from elsewhere. There aren’t many films that act as a direct comparison to the Alien universe. Of course, I’m sure I’ve forgotten some films so I’m happy to be pointed in the right direction.

We all have to remember that Alien came out in 1979.

No, I’m not criticising it for lack of originality, just pointing out that Prometheus doesn’t deserve credit for having lofty ideas which it failed to properly explore when there was nothing original about those ideas.

If it was the first work of fiction to posit that idea then it would deserve credit but “ancient astronauts” is just another well established sci-fi trope. It may not be a common theme in mainstream sci-fi cinema but it comes up in countless sci-fi novels and comics.

As for Alien being made in 1979, I don’t believe there was any deliberate forward planning in Alien for Prometheus. Prometheus was the perfect opportunity to effectively reboot and expand on the universe of the first films in a meaningful and interesting way. They totally wasted that opportunity and it looks like they are going back to a simple formula for this.

I do think there is a lot of mileage left in the Alien universe, but it needs to be handled properly, and I’m not sure Scott is the man to do this, any more.

Agreed, now some time has passed anyway.

I’m a huge Alien/s fan, but I have to admit as a ‘franchise’ it’s had more misses than hits.