Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Alien (prequel)

7/31/09 - Variety confirms that Ridley Scott's company is developing a prequel to his classic sci-fi horror movie Alien, but with a few changes: Scott himself will direct, not Scott's protege, Carl Rinsch, and Jon Spaihts will write the script.  Spaihts got the job after pitching the studio and Scott Free, which will produce the film.  The film is set up to be a prequel to the groundbreaking 1979 film that Scott directed. It will precede that film, in which the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. The crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them.  The deal gives Fox another chance to keep the Alien franchise alive. There were three sequels to Scott's original, but it is the first time the director has set his mind on directing one.

6/1/09 - Producer Tony Scott confirmed to Collider.com that he and brother Ridley Scott are developing a prequel film to Ridley's original Alien movie, with Carl Rinsch directing.  The news confirms the rumor first reported by Bloody-Disgusting that an Alien remake was in the works for 20th Century Fox.  "Carl Rinsch is going to do the prequel to Alien," Scott said. "He's one of our directors at our company."  Tony Scott added: "I'm excited because Ridley created the original, and Carl Rinsch is one of the family."  Scott said that he hopes to get the movie before cameras “hopefully the end of the year" for a summer 2011 release.

5/28/09 - Bloody-Disgusting reports the rumor that director Ridley Scott's classic 1979 sci-fi horror movie Alien is being remade at 20th Century Fox.  The source, the same one that told the site correctly that Robert Rodriguez would reboot the Predator series, adds that Scott, his brother Tony and Michael Costigan will produce through their Scott Free Productions company, and that commercial/video director Carl Rinsch will direct the remake.  The movie, like the original, will focus on the threat posed by a hostile alien on a ship in space, with a new Ripley.

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