Alien: The Prequeling

I can’t let this pass without comment.
It’s the 30th anniversary of the release of Alien this year (a couple weeks ago on May 25 to be precise). The anniversary has been marked by word emerging that a new Alien film is in the works.
Wikipedia entry for the “space jockey” alien from the first film: “In the bonus materials of the special edition Alien DVD, director Ridley Scott expresses the opinion that a film exploring the backstory of the Space Jockey would be an interesting direction for the series to take.”
Tom Rothman, co-Chair of Fox, 28 April, answering a question about whether something is going on with Ridley Scott and Alien: “I think he’s toying with the idea and that would be great for us. I mean, it’s always been a matter of, really, if you can get the originator to do it that would be the greatest thing, so I’ve got my fingers crossed, all of them.”
Tony Scott, Ridley’s brother and partner, May 29: “Carl Rinsch is going to do the prequel to Alien. He’s one of our directors at our company.”
Carl Rinsch is a director of commercials. The one doing the rounds is this: (here are others)

I’ll always have a soft spot for the Alien flicks. I first watched Aliens with a friend on an illegally dubbed copy hired from a friend’s older brother; we watched it in the afternoon and had to turn it off halfway through and do something else for a while because the ride was so intense. It remains to this day my favourite film, and my nomination for the most well-crafted film of all time. The Alan Dean Foster novelization of Alien was the first horror story I read, before I saw either film. I love the first film dearly, am a fierce defender of the third film, and think the first 3/4 of the fourth film has a lot to recommend it. I bought all the comics, which in many ways featured the best development of the source material and incidentally were my gateway into the broader comics scene. I paid actual human money for the Colonial Marine Technical Manual and two different editions of the Walt Simonson adaptation of the first film. I own a children’s book that is a genuine spin-off from the Aliens universe. And, of course, my translation of the Aliens mythos into roleplaying form means I’m still known as the Aliens guy around the NZ RPG scene, almost ten years after my last Aliens game*.
I love these films. And I have to say, I’m not wild about a prequel, Ridley Scott or no Ridley Scott.
There are mysteries to unfold, certainly. What was the nature of that space jockey alien? How did the Company know to send the Nostromo to that planet? Had there been human contact with the aliens before?
Is there a film in those mysteries? I don’t see it, myself. The mysteries around Alien are classic examples of questions that don’t need to be answered. They’re like the questions in the original Star Wars that were answered by the prequel trilogy – the answers served only to diminish the originals by closing down possibilities of meaning. What had felt rich ended up feeling empty. (Besides, Michael Jan Friedman wrote a novel that answered all those mysteries. Incidentally, it also featured the only appearance of New Zealand in the entire Aliens mythos.)
So I’m hoping this film won’t come to pass. In fact, I’m hoping that we do get a remake or a reboot instead of a prequel – the franchise is too lucrative to be abandoned for long, so I’d prefer something that didn’t try to weave itself into the margins of what has come before but instead made a forceful restatement. It would fail, sure; but at least it would only fail itself, rather than failing the original as well.
On the other hand, a 30th anniversary Aliens relaunch that I am excited about: a new comic series from Dark Horse. Rock.
* for those waiting for news of the next one, and I know you’re out there: I wouldn’t be holding your breath…

3 thoughts on “Alien: The Prequeling”

  1. Pretty much exactly like the origin of Wolverine (and I’m not just talking the movie here). Knowing the origin diminishes the worth and growth of the character. Weapon X is backstory and serves to lead him further, but anything before that, the lost memories are as lost memories an integral part of the character. Once they become known the mystery is gone and the character is not the same.
    I would have to agree. Alien needs no movie to prequel it. It is a sad state of affairs that you have to stick with a franchise that works rather than risk something new. Especially when doing the former will only ruin it.

  2. We’ve already had a couple of prequels, and we already know humans and The Company have had contact with the aliens. See Aliens Vs. Predator.
    Even had the original company director that the Bishop synthetic in “Aliens” was modeled on!
    🙂

  3. mundens: I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Aliens Vs. Predator was a comic series with little relation to the continuity of the Aliens films. *denial denial river in egypt denial*
    Actually, my first response to the news was on Twitter and acknowledged this exact point…

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