Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Alien’ Placed on Hold While ‘Prometheus 2’ Moves Forward

Just last month, director Ridley Scott (The Martian) confirmed a Prometheus sequel, but what really made headlines was the director’s working title for the film, Alien: Paradise Lost. Up until that point, the director was doing his best to distance himself from the original films, despite relinquishing the fact that Prometheus took place in the same universe as Alien, as well as featuring a xenomorph at the end of the film. Of course, all of this occurred while Neill Blomkamp (Chappie) was himself developing and pitching an actual sequel to the Alien franchise, that still followed the character of Ellen Ripley. It seemed then, at the time, Alien enthusiasts would be getting two upcoming films to accompany the growing Alien universe. Now, however, it appears as if at least one of those films has been put on hold, with Blomkamp’s Alien project pending while Prometheus 2 pushes forward.

One of the reasons for the change is reportedly due to the similarity in concept for both projects. While Blomkamp’s film was slated to be a sequel (not a prequel), Scott’s decision to more closely connect his Prometheus sequel to the Alien universe may have interfered with what Blomkamp was going to do with his project. The District 9 director alluded to the dilemma in a single tweet.

Blomkamp’s career has sort of sputtered after his promising debut with District 9. His follow-up, the Matt Damon led Elysium received middling reviews, while this year’s Chappie was critically derided. Still, many people appeared enthusiastic about Blomkamp’s potential Alien revival, as the director seemed really passionate and faithful to the source material.

Ridley Scott, similarly, had a streak of misfires with the divisive Prometheus, The Counselor, and Exodus: Gods and Kings. That all changed with the arrival of The Martian. The film – which was released earlier this month and also starred Damon – has been a box office and critical smash for Scott.

While Blomkamp’s Alien project has been placed on hold, Scott’s Alien: Paradise Lost is expected to go into production early next year.