Ridley Scott may currently be doing the press rounds to promote his latest film, The Martian, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting the wheels in motion for his next project. The follow-up to 2012’s Prometheus, now titled Alien: Paradise Lost, is already lined up as Scott’s next film as director, and will – as indicated by the title – have connective tissue with both Prometheus and the Alien franchise.
Understandably, some people are ambivalent about Scott returning to the realm of Alien and Prometheus, especially when the 2012 movie drew such a mixed response. Though it received mostly broadly positive reviews, and was generally admired for its invention and wealth of ideas, Prometheus still left many underwhelmed thanks to its plethora of plotholes, some dodgy story turns and a few underwritten supporting characters. Where most basically thought the film passed muster, others were indifferent, while some outright hated it.
Details on Alien: Paradise Lost are, at present, slim. We know it will take place after the events of Prometheus, will be written by Michael Green and Jack Paglen, and will star returning cast members Michael Fassbender (as android David, or his head at least) and Noomi Rapace (as archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw).
Those things aside, however, the film is still something of a mystery – and that provides room to be hopeful about it. But judging by the few facts we do have, there are reasons to believe Ridley Scott’s 24th feature film could be a very good one.
