Over the weekend Sigourney Weaver was in the UK for the London Film & Comic Con, during which she had some pretty negative words about 2004’s franchise mash-up Alien vs. Predator, stating that the movie “really depressed me”, and also caused Ridley Scott to scrap his plans for a potential Alien sequel.
Well, it seems Weaver’s comments didn’t go down to well with Peter Briggs, writer of the original spec script for Alien vs. Predator back in 1991, who posted a rather lengthy repsonse over at Bloody Disgusting. Here’s a few highlights…
Alien vs Predator had only been discussed for the first time at Fox literally days before Steve gave him the script in September 1991, which is why I was in the right place at the right time to make my first sale. Maybe they were in a panic about Alien 3… I have no idea. And so when I hear Sigourney Weaver recounting her killing off Ripley in Alien 3 because she’d heard Fox were talking about doing Alien vs Predator, despite the fact our project was first spoken about and initiated well over a year (not even counting Vincent Ward’s involvement!) after her movie had gone into active production, I really have to roll my eyes at her claims.
I love Alien 3. Well; I didn’t on its theatrical release, but I find the recent extended DVD recut even more watchable than Aliens. I’ll also be honest that I’m less-than-wild about the two Alien vs Predator movies (particularly Requiem, about which less said the better) But I do wish Sigourney Weaver would stop beating on Alien vs Predator as her pet piñata in “ruining” the Alien franchise, and acknowledge that two standalone Alien movies she was actively involved with unfortunately managed that first, all on their own.
I don’t even know if Sigourney Weaver has read the Alien vs Predator draft I wrote. She’s never said she has. But, I was a fan obsessive of the Alien franchise, Sigourney. Big time. Particularly Ridley’s original, which is still unmatched. And Alien vs Predator — as a concept — is still killer, full of potential. Even its critically maligned first cinematic outing made $172,544,654 worldwide, compared to $159,814,498 for Alien 3 and $161,376,068 for Resurrection. Hardly a financial “fail” there, Sigourney.
There’s a terrific Alien vs Predator movie still to be made by someone. It just hasn’t happened yet.
What are your thoughts on the subject? Did Alien vs. Predator ruin the Alien franchise, or had Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection already taken care of that? Let us know in the comments below…
