Here’s how to erase all of the Alien sequels from existence…

Right now all eyes are on Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel/Prometheus sequel, Alien: Covenant, which is shooting in February/March for release on October 6, 2017.

When Scott decided to focus solely on this franchise, it forced Fox to indefinitely delay Neill Blomkamp’s already announced Aliens sequel, which would bring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn back, while ignoring the third and fourth films in the franchise.

Biehn spoke candidly with Icons of Fright, in which he reveals that Blomkamp will bring Newt back, while also using her to further the franchise (in a new direction).

“They’re planning on bringing me and Newt back and at this point Newt will be around twenty-seven years old. I know that every actress in Hollywood is going to want to play this one, it’s really a passing of the torch between Sigourney and this younger actress who would play Newt. It would keep the franchise alive and the studios would make money, because that’s what the bottom line is now: money.“

First of all, this is genius as Blomkmap has found a way to legitimately exit the path that leads to Alien3 and Alien: Resurrection. By bringing Newt back, they can reintroduce her character, and lead her down a separate hallway of sequels that live parallel to the others that already exist. I’m a huge fan of Newt’s character because of what she stands for in James Cameron’s Aliens. I’ve always loved Cameron’s director’s cut, which focused more on the dramatic aspects of Ripley, and how she’s lost her daughter – thus, Newt becomes her motivation. I’m in the extreme minority, but I prefer this cut.

Biehn feels strongly that the sequel will happen, eventually, mostly because it would be an egg to the face of Sigourney and himself:

“I know that Ridley’s focus is on the second PROMETHEUS (now titled ALIEN: COVENANT) and I’m sure that he and Fox both don’t want that and Neill’s movie to come out right next to each other, because they’re kind of two different worlds, with ALIENS taking place thousands of years later, which is how they explained it all to me, but at the same time, they want to give them a similar feel. I know they’re putting the brakes on Neill’s movie just for a little while, but I really think that it would be embarrassing to Ridley and Fox and Sigourney if they just didn’t make the movie.”

While a studio is a soulless entity that could care less about feelings, it does love its money, and the concept Biehn is sharing sounds like they’ll be swimming in the Benjamins. I think it’s important for Scott to be focused on the producing end, especially if there’s to be a similar feel. I can’t see anyone having the time and energy to both make their own film and produce one on the side. The indefinite delay is the right move here. Still, let’s hope that Blomkamp’s sequel doesn’t get lost in space.