Aliens will be turning thirty on July 18th, and Fox is looking to put together a special 30th Anniversary panel at this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con in Hall H of all places.
EW reports that in attendance will include writer-director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Bill Paxton and even Newt herself Carrie Henn.
There had been chatter from my own circles that Rico Ross and Jenette Goldstein would also be attending, but seem to be absent from the lineup.
The article announcing the panel even alludes to the possibility of the topic moving towards Neill Blomkamp’s imaginative sequel to Aliens, which has the working title Alien 5.
Weaver even gave a quote for the press release and further confirms that it would more than likely retcon the events of Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection.
There will be much to discuss at Comic-Con, since not only is it a look back at a sci-fi classic, but Weaver is working with District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp to create a new Aliens sequel, one that picks up where Cameron’s film left off and somewhat de-canonizes David Fincher’s Alien 3 (1992) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien: Resurrection (1997).
“It’s just as if, you know, the path forks and one direction goes off to three and four and another direction goes off to Neill’s movie,” Weaver says.
20th Century Fox officially pulled-out of Comic-Con promotional panels and won’t likely be promoting films outside of marketing materials on the convention floor or with the usual displays/posters.
However, this could be the best setting to announce the studio’s intention to make Alien 5 and potentially have Weaver, or even Neill Blomkamp himself drop by to reveal/confirm it to the massive audience at Hall H.
Fox could make big waves and save money in the process if they did this.
Weaver has previously stated the studio still has intentions to make the film, and that she’s seen a script for it. She had even teased shooting something secretive in South Africa with Blomkamp, which I had assumed had been costume fittings or test footage for the project. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was shown, or at the very least make it’s way online it if indeed was Alien related.
There had been local reports from Vancouver sources that Fox had originally planned to shoot Alien 5 there a while back, on the same stages as Deadpool and Shane Black’s The Predator. Sigourney had reaffirmed that Ridley Scott asked them to hold-off so he could make Alien: Covenant first, I would assume the return of Ripley would steal a little of his thunder.
It makes sense to us considering how Neill has stated in the press that the film would reverse the heartbreaking deaths of Cameron’s beloved surviving characters from Aliens that were bumped-off for convenience in David Fincher’s Alien 3.
Jim himself being in attendance could lead to his own blessing on the project.
Neill’s first appearance at Comic-Con was with producer Peter Jackson and the pair were promoting his directorial debut District 9, I wouldn’t be terribly shocked to see Cameron also endorse the director as well.
I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if they had some footage or something from the set of Alien: Covenant as well, less likely a long-shot with that assumption.
Of course, this potential Alien 5 announcement is my own speculation, but I’ve heard that Fox is indeed moving forward with Neill’s film and this seems like the best time to make it official. As the film itself would be celebrating the world created by Ridley Scott and more importantly continuing James Cameron’s Aliens, which Jim always intended to do and wasn’t allowed to pursue due to meddling franchise producers.
Do you think Fox will finally make Alien 5 official at Comic-Con?
SOURCE: EW