Summary
- Alien 5 director Neill Blomkamp shuts down any conversation about the scrapped project, saying he doesn’t care about what happens with Alien.
- Blomkamp, known for his work in the science-fiction genre, gained fame with his directorial feature debut in District 9 and has since directed other sci-fi films.
- Blomkamp’s Alien 5, initially slated for a 2017 release, was cancelled by Fox after the disappointing reception of Alien: Covenant, and Disney is now pursuing its own plans for Alien 5.
One-time Alien 5 director shuts down any conversation surrounding the scrapped Alien film in an interview. The first Alien movie was released in 1979 to massive acclaim, spawning the sequel Aliens in 1986. Since then, Alien has become a franchise with four installments in the main series and multiple spinoffs and prequels, including Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Prometheus. Though in talks for years, Alien has yet to receive a fifth entry in its original series, and Gran Turismo director Neill Blomkamp still seems sensitive about this topic.
In a recent interview with Uproxx, Blomkamp was asked questions about Gran Turismo, and the director’s response led to some comparisons to his directorial feature debut District 9. Questions then shifted to the sci-fi movie’s impact on the director’s career and whether the early success proved consequential. Blomkamp gave a short response before requesting to move on. The interviewer then mentioned Blomkamp’s production design for Alien 5. The director cut the interviewer off and attempted to pivot the conversation back to his movie Gran Turismo. When the interviewer mentioned that he and Blomkamp had already discussed Gran Turismo at some length, Blomkamp and his publicist decided to cut off the interview. Blomkamp said plainly:
“It’s hard to define how little I care about what happens with Alien.”
Blomkamp’s History with Alien 5 Explained
Blomkamp is an acclaimed director who did not make Alien 5 but has made a name for himself within the science-fiction movie genre. The South African director introduced the world to a new alien world with his 2009 movie District 9. Since then, he directed several other science fiction crafts, including Elysium and Chappie.
Following District 9’s success, Blomkamp released Alien 5 production concept art online in 2015 with the implication that he would take on an Alien sequel as his next project. 20th Century Fox confirmed the news, and Blomkamp’s Alien 5 was tentatively slated for a 2017 release. Unfortunately, Blomkamp’s Alien 5 was later cancelled by Fox due to the disappointing Alien: Covenant reception and has yet to be revived. Since then, Aliens director James Cameron has pushed for Blomkamp’s vision to be made, though nothing has really gotten off the ground.
Despite some lobbying on the part of Cameron, it now seems Blomkamp’s Alien 5 will never be revived. Disney seems to be moving forward with Alien 5 on its own, thus making Blomkamp’s original concept unlikely. Given the developments, it appears the director wants to move on from that past.
Source: Uproxx