Ridley Scott talks about Alien Prequel

On the eve of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (May 14), MTV steers the conversation toward details of his anticipated Alien prequel. Scott insists he’s more than ‘attached’ to the project; he’s committed:

Scott: It’s a work in progress, but we’re not dreaming it up anymore. We know what the story is. We’re now actually trying to improve the three acts and make the characters better, build it up to something [we can shoot]. It’s a work in progress, but we’re actually making the film. There’s no question about it, we’re going to make the film.

The script is said to center on the unfortunate fate of fossilized dude in the driver’s seat, featured in the photo above.

Scott: It’s set in 2085, about 30 years before Sigourney [Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley]. It’s fundamentally about going out to find out ‘Who the hell was that Space Jockey?’ The guy who was sitting in the chair in the alien vehicle ‚Äî there was a giant fellow sitting in a seat on what looked to be either a piece of technology or an astronomer’s chair… And our man [Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas] climbs up and says “There’s been an explosion in his chest from the inside out ‚Äî what was that?” I’m basically explaining who that Space Jockey ‚Äî we call him the Space Jockey ‚Äî I’m explaining who the space jockeys were.

Will Ripley have a role? Scott says probably not, because she’s not born yet. But the main character will be another woman. Scott also feels that variations on the original Alien designs have been done to death, and he’s ready to go another route:

Scott: Honestly? They’ve squeezed the franchise dry. The first one will always be the most frightening, because the beast we put together with Giger and all its parts ‚Äî the face-hugger, the chest-burster, the egg ‚Äî they were all totally original, and that’s hard to follow. … I’ve always avoided sequels, unless I felt there was something fresh.

Sounds promising. They’re aiming for a late 2011 or Summer 2012 release. If there’s one thing we know about the Alien, he’s versatile and resilient.