Alien Prequel in Latest Issue of Production Weekly

[BlackWatch]

Production Weekly, a Hollywood newsletter that provides the entertainment industry with a comprehensive breakdown of projects in pre-production, preparation, and active development for film and television, has listed the Alien prequel, for now simply titled Alien, in the latest issue #672 which is due out this Thursday. The description provided, however, is vague due to the fact there's no script yet:

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.

Scott Free Productions, the production company of brothers Tony and Ridley Scott, will be producing the film with producer credits going to Tony, Ridley and Michael Costigan. The film's status is listed as in developement. Visit Production Weekly to view the frontpage of issue #672.

[BlackWatch]

In case anyone is wondering Costigan is the President of Scott Free Productions.

So, thinking about it now, it seems this might be following in the footsteps of Predators and the production may be handled independent of the studio itself and done completely as Scott Free Productions. Interesting...

Maybe Fox has figured that paying higher name producers/directors, ie. Rodriguez and Scott, to handle these films with their own studios will still come out cheaper even with their higher individual salaries as opposed to hiring first-timers or B-list directors and doing it in the studio system. Intrigued I am.

This could be a renaissance for quality films. Less studio interference. Higher talent attached to projects. Lower production costs. More profit for the studios. Better films produced. Better chance of having projects greenlit. I think I just had an epiphany.

[ADC]

So far so good! Just like the Rodriguez flick, as you say.

There's a good chance they might shoot here in Blighty as well, seeing as how they also own Pinewood, Teddington  and Shepperton Studios.

Wow, I hope so. That would be great -- the queue for janitor jobs at Shepperton starts here!