DirectorRidley Scottdropped a tiny little bomb yesterday, surprising fans with the title of hisPrometheussequel. We suspected it wouldn’t simply be calledPrometheus 2. But no one predicted it would arrive under theAlienfranchise umbrella, with Alien: Paradise Lost set to light up marquees in 2017. This indicates that the film will be directly tied into the overall series, despiteRidley Scottsaying earlier in the week that hisPrometheusseries would not connect to his 1979Alienfor at least two, maybe even three more movies. So why the new title?
DirectorRidley Scottdropped the new title before heading out to the red carpet premiere of his latest sci-fi adventureThe Martian. So, of course he was hit with more questions about the impending sequel, which goes into production at the very start of 2016.HeyUGuys, who got the filmmaker to reveal the title in the first place, also got him to expand and expound on his endeavor. About arriving at Alien: Paradise Lost as the title forPrometheus 2,Ridley Scottexplained.
“Well, because we’re heading back to why and how and when the beast was invented. We’ll go back into the back door of the very first Alien that I did thirty years ago.”
Prometheus 2was long rumored to be titledParadise. The title is in reference to an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man. It explores the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton’s purpose, stated in Book I, is to “justify the ways of God to men”. Which seems to be the connection thatRidley Scottis making withAlien: Paradise Lost. The new title also specifically references a scene in the originalPrometheus, where Elizabeth Shaw’s (Noomi Rapace) father explains to her about the afterlife. He says, ‘Everyone has their own word; heaven, paradise. Whatever it’s called, it’s someplace beautiful.’ And Elizabeth asks, ‘How do you know it’s beautiful?’
There will be a new planet that is explored by returning cast membersNoomi RapaceandMichael Fassbender, confirmed to reprise their roles as Elizabeth Shaw and the android David. It will be the home world of the enigmatic engineers fromPrometheus. In previous interviewsRidley Scottclaimed thatPrometheus 2will not have the classic Xenomorph alien. Instead, it will feature anew type of aliencreature. The filmmaker stated that the “baby alien” in the originalPrometheuswas “very close” to the creature from his originalAlienmovie, adding that this extraterrestrial in the sequel will be much different. It is believed that the engineer/alien hybrid dubbed “The Deacon” will return in some capacity.
Jack Paglen(Transcendence) andMichael Green(Untitled Blade Runner Project) are writing the screenplay forPrometheus 2. Though 20th Century Fox is also in the early stages of production onAlien 5, it isn’t known when that project may see the light of day or how the new title forPrometheus 2will change what is being planned, if at all. What do you think? Can you live withPrometheus 2being called Alien: Paradise Lost?
