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There was a time when the “Alien” franchise looked like it was going to rise to new heights. This is after it seemed like Ridley Scott was more than happy to make his weird “Prometheus”-style spin-off stories, and Fox hired “District 9’s” Neill Blomkamp to write a new sequel to the classic sci-fi/horror series, with star Sigourney Weaver back as the iconic Ripley.

But then it all fell apart.

Instead of working with Blomkamp, Fox decided to move forward with Scott on a new “Alien” film titled “Alien: Covenant,” where the legendary director tried to continue his “Prometheus” story but with more xenomorphs. The studio basically threw out all the work that Blomkamp had done, and after ‘Covenant’ failed at the box office, the franchise now sits in limbo.

So, now that the “Alien” franchise is ripe for the taking, yet again. Would Blomkamp be interested in going back? Doesn’t seem like it, at least based on what the director said in an interview with JoBlo:

“Yeah, I mean, I wish I could share more, but obviously Fox owns it. It’s just an unfortunate thing. I speak to Sigourney about it sometimes. At this point it’s kinda like the fire that was burning within me to make that is gone. Stepping outside of even the legal kind of studio-based politics I just feel like its time has come and gone. So, yeah…I think no. And I say that really reluctantly, because I cannot state how much of a fan of Sigourney I am and how much of a fan I am of ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’ and the idea of doing a sequel to James Cameron’s film is amazing on all levels. But, there’s a point at which when you’re years into it you have to move on. So, I think that has happened to me.”

The director hasn’t been shy, over the last few years, in discussing his involvement with the project, even dropping some concept art on social media and discussing a bit about the plot. However, it looks like the studio has officially broken Blomkamp. It’s a shame because even the littlest bits of info we’ve been able to glean about his “Alien” film are infinitely better than anything seen in ‘Covenant.’

Sigh.

Oh well, for those who are interested in more about what Blomkamp is doing, you should read the rest of his interview, where he details what his Oats Studio is up to in 2018.