Alien 5 Update: Is Prometheus 2 Holding Neill Blomkamp Up?

Production on Prometheus 2 may delay shooting on Alien 5

Although District 9 and Chappie helmer Neill Blomkamp has been slowly dribbling concept art designs for his new untitled Alien sequel on the web as recently as last month, Alien 5 may have a built-in decelerator in the form of its producer Ridley Scott, who, according to Bloody Disgusting‘s inside source, is insisting that 20th Century Fox prioritize his planned Prometheus 2 to go before cameras prior to Blomkamp’s film. 

“’Alien 5′ is still very much in the works, as Fox remains hot on the idea,” says the 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.”

This extra time may push Alien 5 back at least a year, although it will allow Blomkamp an extended prep period to fine-tune designs and the script, which is always a good thing. It may also alleviate concerns about Sigourney Weaver’s commitment to James Cameron’s trio of Avatar sequels, which may have interfered with her plan to reprise Ripley once again. 

At this point, it’s uncertain precisely what route the new film will take, but the continued use of Weaver and Michael Biehn’s likenesses (as featured in the previously-revealed concept designs) seems to indicate a likely return to the franchise for the pair. According to another report, Biehn himself has talked to Blomkamp about Alien 5 but has yet to receive a script or an offer for the sequel. 

“[Sigourney] knows about it,” Blomkamp told ComingSoon.net in February, “and part of it was just inspired by speaking to her on set when we were filming ‘Chappie,’ and getting her thoughts on ‘Alien’ and what she thought of the movies that came after ‘Aliens’ and what she felt about Ripley and what was incomplete for her about Ripley. There was so much fuel in what she was telling me.”

Ridley Scott, director of 1979’s Alien as well as 2012’s pseudo-prequel Prometheus, will serve as a producer on the currently untitled Neill Blomkamp Alien Sequel, which has a tentative 2017 release slot, although that may shift to 2018 given these new developments. Earlier this month it was revealed that Prometheus 2 would go before cameras in January of 2016.