Alien is one of those relatively long-running franchises that’s mostly gotten it right all along the way. Mostly. There have been a few missteps here and there that are easy to make for the rolling of eyes, but for the most part it’s been one hell of an enjoyable ride. Where a successful franchise like Alien can quickly go wrong is when it starts to attempt to explain itself with prequels and a multitude of flashbacks. Remember how the awesome Highlander movie ruined things when it went to explain its magic as being alien? No? God, I envy you.
Ridley Scott is bringing the notion of a prequel of sorts to the Alien franchise with Prometheus, due for release in June 2012. While not strictly a “prequel,” director Ridley Scott — of both Alien and Prometheus — explains that Prometheus is not really meant to be seen as a prequel, or at least not to the characters we saw in the 1979 film. However, hints about the movie’s premise seem to heavily indicate that we could very likely learn the origins of the alien creatures.
While the recently-released official trailer for Prometheus definitely holds promise for long-time fans such as myself, there’s definitely that possibility that the explanation for the aliens’ existence could come off as a huge flop. What’s been working all this time for this series of films is the mystery surrounding these creatures, and that it’s one that really doesn’t need explaining to make it work. In fact, not knowing what the aliens or where they came from has been one of the things I’ve liked about it the most. Remember that crazy ship and the huge chest-bursted “space jockey” alien from the beginning of the first film? Do we need to know more about that?
What have you heard about Prometheus? Do you think co-writer (and Lost co-writer) Damon Lindelof can pull off a story that’ll satisfy fans who’ve once given up on the series and those who’ve loved it all along? Here’s the trailer to chew on until June; I’ve gotta say, it sure looks promising so far. if nothing else, the score will get you pumped.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Dec 29, 2011 @ 21:35 EST5EDT
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I don’t know … looks pretty damned cool.
I’ve been a fan of the Alien series since I was a pup. It’s when I first fell in love with Sigourney Weaver. I was at the World Science Fiction convention in the late 70’s when they released the first information on the original film and showed storyboards and more. The video has got me in that same sort of excitement.
It’s Ridley Scott. You’ve got to think he’s going to do the thing justice.
The proof with obviously be in the pudding. Let’s see what happens …
I didn’t really get started getting excited for this until I saw the trailer. Now I’m intrigued.
I think 2012 is shaping up to be a pretty good year for blockbusters.
I’m hopeful. The visuals look outstanding. Can’t really see the “Alien” connection from the trailer too much other than it appears to be on the planet from the 1st movie. But with Ridley Scott behind the helm again, bring it on!
Plus in the trailer you clearly see the alien spacecraft from the 1st movie. Hopefully Prometheus explains how that ship came to crash-land on the planet and why its hold is full of Alien eggs. If so it will give a pretty strong “Alien” connection!
I think we will end up with more questions than answers
Check out this super detailed trailer breakdown
https://www.prometheusnews.net/movie/prometheus-trailer-breakdown/
Ridley Scott is an over rated hack. In 1979 he had talented people like Giger(and other talented artists) to support his 1979 film. Now you will see more garbage on film.
I share your concern. Predatory life forms exist in nature. Look at the Earth millions of years ago with creatures taking bites of flesh out of one another. The Xenomorph’s existence is eminently plausible without explanation. It will be disappointing to learn from Prometheus that these creatures were genetically engineered in a lab by ‘Gods’. I prefer to conjecture the Pilots (or Space Jockeys) being intergalactic zoologists who collect and study interesting life forms — and one got careless. It’s not necessary to discover where they came from nor where they were headed. A little mystique, please!
I share your concern. Predatory life forms exist in nature. Look at the Earth millions of years ago with creatures taking bites of flesh out of one another. The Xenomorph’s existence is eminently plausible without explanation. It will be disappointing to learn from Prometheus that these creatures were genetically engineered in a lab by ‘Gods’. I prefer to conjecture the Pilots (or Space Jockeys) being intergalactic zoologists who collect and study interesting life forms — and one got careless. It’s not necessary to discover where they came from nor where they were headed. A little mystique, please!
@Keith McDuffee
This franchise has not “mostly gotten it right”. The first two (thats it, Alien and Aliens) movies are great, and then we rapidly descend all the way to the AVP garbage. I am so excited that the man who made the first and best film is coming back to reveal the mythology. Even if it’s not amazing, what else has been made in the past 10 years that will even come near it?
The only 2 science fiction films that Scott has made to date are pure Canon. Trust him my friend.
Aliens already ruined the coolness of the creature by making them space ants and making them less formidable, dying in droves to badass dudes with guns. I am looking forward to a “proper” sequel to Alien. I’m certain that whatever their origins, if they are a genetic experiment gone wrong, whatever, it will be cooler than, “yea are space ants, now for the guns.”