Alien5: It's a Bug Hunt (pre-release thread)

[Reverend]

1: He had the whole of the time Ripley was down in the nest (fifteen minutes, more or less) to circle around, find another way in, land, grab the nearest egg, haul it back to the dropship and take off again. Remember how he kept Ripley waiting?

Not a chance. The landing platform he dropped her at was the closest one available and Ripley spent the whole interim on the move. Once at the nest, she barely paused before *running* back. No way in hell could Bishop have done that.
That contrived nonsense aside, there's no way Bishop was programmed by Burke to do anything. There is absolutely no basis for this premise whatsoever and I really shouldn't have to list the dozen or so reasons why it's impossible.

2: As we saw in Alien Isolation, the xenomorph doesn't consider androids a threat unless it's actively fighting them with something or if it's simply in the way of its real target (As Bishop was on the Sulaco flight deck). Inorganic = just part of the scenery. And (from the Xeno's POV) anyone stupid enough to steal an egg intact instead of destroying it deserves what they'll get.

^I'm sorry, but that makes so little sense I don't even know where to start.

I think you're referring to this particular page from the Alien3 comic adaptation. (Of course, if it's that far along already, why does it even need to still be in a host?)

Because it's a Queen I suppose? Even taking the film at face value, it did gestate for *much* longer than any other alien we've seen. A few days at least, which was enough time for the Dog-Alien to grow to full size and rack up a not insignificant body count. Plus that thing was implanted *after* the Queen. Maybe as much as half a day if you consider the time between Ripley (or Newt?) being implanted, the fire to get out of control, the ejecting and de-orbiting of the EEV, bringing it ashore/Ripley washing ashore and being found by the by the Doctor (depending on which cut of the film) plus however long she was unconscious for. That's a several hours extra at least.

Maybe part of the reason it took so long is that it had to switch hosts which slowed it's gestation somewhat.

Again though, this is not a film one looks to for plot logic.

 

[JacksonArcher]

After Elysium and Chappie, I'm beginning to have doubts in Blomkamp as a filmmaker. I'm starting to think District 9 was a fluke of a movie.

 

[Relayer1]

After Elysium and Chappie, I'm beginning to have doubts in Blomkamp as a filmmaker. I'm starting to think District 9 was a fluke of a movie.

I haven't seen any of these films, and don't want to.

As long as he fixes Aliens, I'll be happy...

 

[Tosk]

Even if Bishop did have time to go snag an egg, fly to the Sulaco, and come back in time to pick up Ripley and Newt, why would he stick it upside down to the underside of a table? (Or wherever that is.)

It's almost like Alien 3 specifically goes out of its way to be irreconcilable with Aliens.

 

[Relayer1]

It's almost like Alien 3 specifically goes out of its way to be irreconcilable with Aliens.

Which is why it needs to be retconned / explained away.

 

[Reverend]

It's almost like Alien 3 specifically goes out of its way to be irreconcilable with Aliens.

Which is why it needs to be retconned / explained away.

^That's the least of the reasons.

Personally I don't mind either way. Retcon, don't retcon. I just want to see Ripley & Hicks again.

 

[Tosk]

I say just set ALIEN5 twenty years after Aliens and don't even deal with the elephant in the room. If nothing else, it'll give fans something new to argue about for decades.

"Was Bishop an android or a human in Alien 3?" is still going.

 

[MacLeod]

I ssupect at some point during the writing of Alien 3 they basically hoped the audiance had forgotten most of what happened in Aliens aside from the obivous that X and Y had survived. Who needs a film series to make sense strictly speaking the presence of an egg makes little to no sense from a story point of view. Sure you can write around, perhaps there was a second Synthetic onbaord in some secret chamber who took the second drop ship to the crashed ship and collected an egg whilst the first team was down. Or perhaps once bioscans didn't detected the presence of a Xenomorph, the second synthetic onbaord took the dropship down to the crashed ship and collected the egg before the ship left orbit.

 

[Reverend]

^From what I've heard and read over the years, they really didn't even put that much thought into it. The project was practically rudderless from the get-go. Frankly it's a miracle it's as coherent as it is.

 

[Relayer1]

It's almost like Alien 3 specifically goes out of its way to be irreconcilable with Aliens.

Which is why it needs to be retconned / explained away.

^That's the least of the reasons.

Personally I don't mind either way. Retcon, don't retcon. I just want to see Ripley & Hicks again.

That too !

 

[Hartzilla2007]

^From what I've heard and read over the years, they really didn't even put that much thought into it. The project was practically rudderless from the get-go. Frankly it's a miracle it's as coherent as it is.

Well one of the script drafts actually did do a better job of just by virtue of not involving the survivors from Aliens and instead focusing on Weyland Yutani doing Alien cloning experiments from fossilized remains of a face hugger in a prison space station.

 

[MacLeod]

I suspect thaey didn't have much faith in an Alien film without having Weaver in it.

 

[Reverend]

^From what I've heard and read over the years, they really didn't even put that much thought into it. The project was practically rudderless from the get-go. Frankly it's a miracle it's as coherent as it is.

Well one of the script drafts actually did do a better job of just by virtue of not involving the survivors from Aliens and instead focusing on Weyland Yutani doing Alien cloning experiments from fossilized remains of a face hugger in a prison space station.

IIRC there was something like four or five versions (not counting iterative re-writes) of Alien 3 between something like eight writers before the producers gave up hiring writers and assembled the script themselves from bits and pieces of some of the other drafts.

The one most people seem to like the best is the one with the monks. I tried reading it once but just couldn't finish. Perhaps because the concept was so daft I just couldn't suspend disbelief long enough to become engaged.

I also recall read a bit of the one that had Hicks running around some space station (presumably when Weaver didn't want to come back), but all I really remember is that it was dull, with an over reliance on action set pieces.

I think there's another one set on a 'Silent Running' type biosphere station, which had a replica "Small Town USA" under a dome with a secret bio-weapons lab in the lower levels (because of course!) That always struck me as only slightly less silly than the wooden satellite idea, though quite a transparent attempt at reducing filming costs.

Not 100% sure what the other one is about, but I imagine it's the one where the company experiments on convicts. No clue how good or bad that is.

TBH none of these scripts struck me as promising and I can see why they were all rejected. Most were either too bland or too outlandish. Add to that constant studio interference and the producers not starting out with a clear goal in mind beyond "let's make tons more money" it's little wonder the whole thing was a mess. Indeed, if memory serves that one with just Hicks had something like 20 or 30 drafts, including two major variations; one overly action packed, the other more contained. IIRC that writer ended up just loosing patience with the whole project. Can't say I blame him.

 

[Nightowl1701]

http://screenrant.com/alien-5-title-release-date-prometheus-2-connections/

Not really anything new here, but it's nice to know things are running smoothly so far. Curious to know what Blomkamp's title is gonna turn out to be...

 

[Nightowl1701]

The veil of secrecy around Prometheus 2 is (apparently) starting to lift...

Exclusive - Prometheus 2 plot elements potentially leaked

Other reported plot elements:

Spoiler: This is Rumor Control...

Shaw’s warning to stay away from LV223 is dismissed by the greedy and untrusting Weyland executives...

Instead of sending unreliable humans with expensive contracts/supplies, they send a large group of (David-series) robots this time, some military hardware and a small handful of loyal Weyland employees, because the robots might need a handler or two to keep them inline and on task.

In other, more fun news (and this is something I saw for myself last weekend at MegaCon), a fan-made Aliens game has come out from the DAVE School. Some things are too scary for even LEGO to attempt...

 

[Nightowl1701]

Annnnnd start the clock.

Prometheus 2 begins filming this January

 

[JarodRussell]

Without Lindelof crapping on it, my interest is actually revived again.

 

[Timby]

Annnnnd start the clock.

Prometheus 2 begins filming this January

Best news I'll hear all month.

 

[JD]

Since I'm one of the few people who actually really enjoyed the first one, I'm pretty excited to hear they are starting on the second soon.
I wonder if the comments about Alien 5 mean there will some kind of connection, or if they are just trying to make sure they don't contradict each other.

 

[Timby]

Well, in the linked article, Scott says he's flat-out done with the Xenomorphs (and he has been for a while, which is why he had Lindelof rewrite Jon Spaihts' script, which was literally Alien 0.5 and read like bad fan-fiction), so I doubt there's much opportunity for contradiction.

Not that it matters, just tell me a story, I don't give a shit if the individual pieces fit together.