When the movie Alien was released back in 1979, nothing else like it it had ever been done before. It was a classic horror / monster movie set in space with a science fiction universe. There was a depth to the movie and a strong glimpse of a bigger universe of characters beyond the xenomorph aliens that played the terrifying antagonistic creatures in the movie. The original film contained an unexplained character that had long since passed by the time that the humans arrived. After the mining crew answer a distress beacon the foreign planet, they find an alien derelict cargo ship. On that ship, the humans discovered the fossilized remains of a large humanoid creature. This character was often called "The Space Jockey" or more formally, "The Pilot". The Space Jockey has never been attempted to be explained in any of the subsequent sequels by any other directors that followed Scott; being James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean Pierre Jeunet, sequentially. (all three of those are in my top 10 directors list, by the way) The race is sometimes called in other media, the Mala'kak.
Prometheus is Ridley Scott's first attempt to delve back into this universe since the original 1979 movie Alien. The director of Blade Runner and Gladiator has decided that rather than rehash anymore xenomorphs, why not go back earlier in this universe. The director outed his stance on including the original antagonists a while back, saying: "No. Absolutely not. They squeezed it dry. He (the xenomorph) did very well. (He laughs) He survived, he’s now in Disneyland in Orlando, and no way am I going back there. How did he end up in Disneyland? I saw him in Disneyland, Jesus Christ!" This is also the first non-Preditor movie set in this universe without the character Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. Prometheus will be part one of a two part prequel story. I think that this is infinitely more interesting and original than anything since the original sequel: Aliens. Don't get me started on the AVP movies. In fact, I am much more interested in the return to horror / science fiction roots than anything else since the original.
Shooting Prometheus in native 3D, Scott has claimed that he will never go back to 2D again. This is a bold statement for such a well established director. That must mean that his upcoming Blade Runner sequel will also be in 3D! With 3D still going strong, I sure hope that theaters get with it when it comes to using brighter lamps in their projectors. I would like to see Real D use their power to maintain that this happens out of their own interest, but maybe that should be left for a future article.
Prometheus stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba. The release date is set for June 8, 2012.
Don't believe it is a true return to the source material? I think that the following trailer will speak for itself:
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