Director Neill Blomkamp jokes that 2015’s Chappie deterred Ridley Scott from making his Alien 5. Following a Best Picture Oscar nomination for his 2009 debut feature, District 9, and the Matt Damon-led Elysium in 2013, Blomkamp became Hollywood’s go-to guy for sci-fi blockbusters. At one point, he was attached to several high-profile proprieties, including a Robocop reboot, a live-action Halo adaptation, and was even scouted by Ridley Scott to helm the next installment in the Alien franchise.
Following the masterpiece that is James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), reception to the Alien franchise gradually declined over the decades. It wasn’t until Scott’s prequel, Prometheus (2012), that the franchise began to revitalize itself. In February of 2015, it was announced that Blomkamp would helm the first direct Alien sequel since 1997. A month later, Blomkamp’s critically-panned Chappie, starring Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, and Dev Patel, was released in theaters. Alien 5 was then abruptly canceled the following October.
Speaking to The Guardian about his new horror film Demonic, which Blomkamp wrote and filmed during the pandemic, the director was asked about his canceled Alien project. Blomkamp joked that Chappie may have been what deterred Scott from making Alien 5. Read what he had to say below:
“It’s possible that Ridley watched Chappie and he was like, this guy can’t do Alien so let’s just go ahead and move on,” Blomkamp said with a smile.
While rumors and concept art concerning Blomkamp’s Alien 5 continue to surface, the director insists the project is dead. Having not spoken to Scott since, Blomkamp went on to say that he won’t get involved with any established IPs after working on Alien 5 for two years. Blomkamp also revealed that Weaver loved his idea for a fifth Alien film and felt bad that she never got to reprise her iconic role. Ignoring the events of Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997), Alien 5 would’ve picked up from Aliens with the return of Weaver’s Ripley and her surrogate daughter Newt.
Despite Blomkamp joking about it, the failure of Chappie is most likely why Scott and the studio decided not to have him revive the Alien franchise. As was the case with Colin Trevorrow (Episode IX) or Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Solo: A Star Wars Story) getting axed from Star Wars projects, big studios often let filmmakers go due to bad faith. Frankly, it’s a shame Scott and 20th Century Fox didn’t back Blomkamp's vision for Alien 5, which he assures is “what the audience wanted.” The return of Ripley and Newt would’ve sold tickets regardless. Misfires aside, Blomkamp recently announced he’s working on the script for District 10—something fans have anticipated for over a decade.
Source: The Guardian