Nordling here.
Pre-production on Ridley Scott's new science fiction film PROMETHEUS is ramping up nicely. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender have already been cast, and it looks like another actor has joined - Charlize Theron, according to Hollywood Reporter. No details on the character as yet, but she joins Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender for the film.
However, MTV got Fassbender to sit down with them to discuss the film, and an interesting bit of information cropped up in regards to the connection to the original ALIEN films:
"There's a definite sort of connecting vein, it's just that, you know, you realize you're part of something else, but yeah, it's definitely in keeping with the old ones."
"When I read it, I was like, 'Well, okay, another ALIEN. Where do you go with this idea?' And then I sort of read the script, and it's new, yet it's in keeping with the old traditions as well. But there's a whole new revelation within this film."
"There is action in it, but it's definitely... the intelligence of it is what sort of struck me when I read it, but it's more of the original ones, there's things happening and building, and the intelligence of the first two-thirds of the film gets you ready for the action..."
So there IS a connection. It's not clear whether or not it's a connection to plot, or to theme, but the fact that [SPOILER]Fassbender is rumored to be playing an android[END SPOILER] at least it very well may be in the same universe as the original films.
I think what Ridley Scott is intending is to use the milieu of the ALIEN films to tell a different type of story, one that isn't married to the trappings of the original ALIEN. The connection between PROMETHEUS and the ALIEN films may be in the plot, or thematically, but prequels are a funny business, and as a filmmaker I would imagine that Scott doesn't want to feel trapped by the original films and be able to tell a story without having to set up all the spinning plates to put the original films in motion. We may think we know what happens, but I think the filmmakers don't want us looking for certain things and predicting different plot points. They want PROMETHEUS to be its own thing, while still maintaining that connection. Scott's probably well-aware of the problems with prequels and wants to avoid them if at all possible and give the audience the suspense and thrills of an original film. PROMETHEUS comes out in May, 2012.
Nordling, out.
