We’ve seen quite a bit of concept art for District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s planned sequel to Aliens, but at this point there’s been no word on when cameras will begin rolling or at what point the movie could arrive in theaters. A new report suggests that the uncertainty surrounding that project could have something to do with the timetable for Ridley Scott’s sequel to Prometheus, which has yet to begin filming.
An anonymous source connected with the Alien franchise has told movie news site Bloody Disgusting that Scott, who directed the original Alien and the recent prequel Prometheus, is insisting that the sequel to that 2012 film go into production at 20th Century Fox before Blomkamp’s Alien movie (often referred to as “Alien 5,” although its exact place in the continuity of the franchise is uncertain).
“Alien 5 is still very much in the works, as Fox remains hot on the idea,” reported the site’s source. “Blomkamp continues to work on the script (only an outline existed previously) and refine the tale he is telling. Ridley Scott is still producing, but has insisted on Prometheus 2 being made first.”
With the sequel to Prometheus expected to begin filming next year, that film is likely to hit theaters in 2017. That could potentially lead to production on Blomkamp’s Aliens sequel kicking off that same year, making a 2018 premiere a reasonable expectation for the film.
While this news might disappoint anyone excited by the notion of a Blomkamp-directed sequel to Aliens, it does suggest that the talented filmmaker will have more time to develop his idea for the film, which is expected to spin out of the events of James Cameron’s 1986 sequel Aliens rather than Scott’s original 1979 film. It also could alleviate some of the scheduling issues the project was likely to face with franchise star Sigourney Weaver committed to Cameron’s Avatar sequels in the near future.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this update is far from official, and there’s been no confirmation from the studio or any of the parties involved with the projects regarding the timetable for Blomkamp’s film.
Still, some of the early concept art revealed by Blomkamp has indicated that Weaver won’t be the only actor to return for his project. Aliens actor Michael Biehn also features prominently in the images, and he’s expected to reprise his role as Corporal Dwayne Hicks in the film.
