With the announcement of Prometheus 2 finally heading into development, sources have told Bloody-Disgusting that it could have an impact on Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5.
“Alien 5 is still very much in the works, as Fox remains hot on the idea,” the source claims. “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.”
We’d already heard that Blomkamp had to change his Alien 5 story to accommodate Prometheus 2, and this is just one more thing to push back on his original plan. Blomkamp was very outspoken about Fox after his Halo movie fell through, saying he would need “an ungodly amount of money to ever work with them again”, so this can’t help mend those bridges.
However some good news to come from this is that it gives Blomkamp time to revamp his script (which is still in treatment stage) and it avoids scheduling clashes now that Weaver will be featuring in James Cameron’s Avatar sequels. Alien 5 should start shooting in 2017 for a 2018 release.
Furthermore, despite earlier claims, it seems as though Michael Biehn has not been officially cast as Hicks in Alien 5. At the Sheffield Film and Comic Con, Biehn told fans that he had spoken to Blomkamp about the movie, but has not read a script or been offered a role. Though he is “certain” and “optimistic” that he will (thanks to AvPGalaxy for the heads up).
Alien 5 will feature Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ellen Ripley, and should be released in 2018.
Originally published August 18, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
