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We've been hearing about a possible return to the basics for the Alien franchise -- where the concept of a single alien monster on a ship is revisited.
Earlier, Sigourney "Ripley" Weaver revealed that she and director Ridley Scott had discussed it, but the debacles that were the Alien vs. Predator movies seemed to have killed interest. Later, it was said that the idea was being tossed around by the studio again and it had got Ridley Scott thinking about a plotline again.
Now comes word from Bloody-Disgusting that this new Alien project is indeed happening. But the word is that, while still involved, Scott is stepping back -- letting his brother Tony Scott and Michael Costigan produce, and he's looking at an unknown Carl Rinsch to direct the movie. In his defense, Rinsch has done plenty of work for Scott Free -- Ridley's production company.
While it looks like this will put the franchise back on track, can it be good that the franchise originator is taking the back seat instead of the director's chair?
Posted 05.29.09 by reelz -
What, AVP wasn't enough a reboot? It's true, despite both Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, a second reboot is underway, this time with director Robert Rodriguez serving as producer for the movie.
AICN reached out to Rodriguez, who explained how Predators came into being:
Way back before I did Desperado, I had taken a writing assignment for a sequel to Predator. With a nod toward [James] Cameron's Aliens I decided to call it Predators. I set it on a jungle-like Predator planet. Fast forward 15 years to when I got a call from Alex Young over at Fox, who had been digging around and found my original treatment. So the next stage is finding a writer and director to come in and work with us to bring it to life. Whether or not it will ultimately be based on the treatment or not is still unknown at this time.
So while Rodriguez will not direct or write, he has plenty in mind for the movie:
What I'd like to do with it is expand on ideas I dreamt up back in the original treatment, that had really expanded on the universe both the Predators and other species live in. We'd create new otherworldly characters while not taking away from the draw our main Predator has.
Posted 04.30.09 by Ryan -
This week's DVD Tuesday is a tale of opposites: Juno, the indie comedy smash starring Ellen Page and written by blogging sensation Diablo Cody; the sci-fi sequel Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, available in both standard and extra-bloody unrated editions; Lars and the Real Girl, Ryan Gosling's bittersweet comedy about a young man's love affair with a blow-up doll; and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke as two brothers whose plan to rob their parents' jewelry store goes horribly awry.
Posted 04.15.08 by reelz -
There's an interesting trend occuring this Holiday season at the movie house - instead of the usual heartwarming, happy holiday fare, many moviegoers are opting for a distinctly different experience at the cinema... Blood Shed.
Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem debuted on Christmas Day and rounded up an impressive $9.5 on Day 1. Our own Brent Simon was a bit underwhelmed - be sure to check out his Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem review. The post-apocalyptic I Am Legend is holding strong, on pace to hit $175 million in total box office this weekend while Tim Burton's blood-soaked Sweeney Todd is also continuing to perform well at the box office.
Finally, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, the darkly operatic There Will Be Blood opened in very limited release this week, garnering a staggering per-screen average of nearly $34,000.
Posted 12.28.07 by reelz -
It's that time of year again and, if you're like me, you might be about ready to take a reprieve from all the good cheer at the cozy comfort of your local megaplex.
Luckily, there are a lot of great choices at the movies starting Christmas day, no matter what your taste. Denzel Washington directed and stars in The Great Debaters, which Heather gave an 8 out of 10. There is the family Loch Ness monster fantasy The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, which Tom scored a 7 out of 10. Finally, for those seeking a very different kind of Christmas memory, there's Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem. It wasn't pre-screened for critics, but from what we've seen it promises to deliver on the bloodlust fans missed in the first AVP film.
For those in L.A. in NYC, the following movies also open in limited release: The Bucket List, Honeydripper, The Orphanage, Persepolis and (on 12/26) There Will Be Blood.
Have a nice Holiday!
Posted 12.25.07 by reelz -
I just got back from visiting Hydraulx in Santa Monica. California where the Brothers Strause (Colin and Greg) are putting the finishing touches on their highly anticipated Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem. Unlike the previous entry by critically maligned director Paul W.S. Anderson, this AVP is strictly for mature audiences. It's rated-R and pulls no punches. Opening on Christmas Day, the movie should provide a nice xmas alternative for those who'd rather enjoy blood and guts than chestnuts on an open fire.
Reelz.com hung with the Brothers Strause today for a tour of their Hydraulix FX house where they are also currently working on Eddie Murphy's Starship Dave and Doug Liman's Jumper. Although AVPR is their first gig as directors, the duo's impressive resume of FX work also includes Titanic, both Fantastic Four Movies, X Men: The Last Stand and 300.
Besides touring the very cool looking facilities of Hydraulx (which almost look like a movie set themselves), we were treated to a sneak peek at about ten minutes of footage from AVPR. Dark, atmospheric and thrillingly terrifying, fans of the series should be pleased with the end result.
We'll have a full report from our visit coming later this week. For now, be sure to check our AVPR photo gallery for some great new pics from the film!
Posted 12.11.07 by reelz -
As a director, how do you create interest in a sequel after your predecessor misfired badly the first time around? Why, you start killing kids, of course.
MTV Movies reports that Alien vs. Predator: Requiem directors Colin and Greg Strause are going all-out for gore with their sequel to Paul W.S. Anderson's poorly-reviewed yet financially successful Alien vs. Predator. No one will be spared from their quest for a hard-R -- not even the kiddies. From MTV Movies:
"Yeah, he dies," Greg confirmed of the ill-fated child. "Onscreen, and very painfully. It's pretty f---ed up, but breaking some of the rules is a good thing here."
Lucky for them, there's no rule against making really crappy movies.
Posted 09.12.07 by reelz -
Twentieth Century Fox has abruptly cancelled its appearance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, less than a week before the opening of the annual gathering of fanboys from across the world, The Los Angeles Times reports.
The official explanation from studio, which had planned to unveil footage from a variety of upcoming films, including Alien vs. Predator 2, Jumper, Hitman, The Dark is Rising, Babylon A.D. and City of Ember, is that "the clips simply weren't ready." What an odd coincidence, that ALL of the above films would hit such a snag at the same time. Either Fox has some really flaky editors working at its Century City headquarters, or something else is afoot.
Conspiracy theories abound. One of which, courtesy of CHUD, posits that relations between Fox and the Comic-Con folks have been prickly since last year's event, when the studio unspooled some R-rated clips from Borat, violating the convention's strict moratorium on displaying naughty footage. Unable to repair the strained relationship in time for this year’s event, Fox decided to pull the plug rather than risk further controversy.
Fox is supposedly planning some sort of "surprise" for Comic-Con attendees. We'll keep you posted as developments arise.
Posted 07.19.07 by reelz