With several Alien and Predator projects in the making, the future of the franchise seems somewhat promising under Disney. But what became of Prometheus 3 (sometimes called Alien: Awakening), Ridley Scott's sequel to Alien: Covenant, and the third part in the planned prequel trilogy? In this article, find out the disappointing status of the movie, how the story of David and the Engineers could continue, and how other Alien projects could still connect to the prequel characters and motifs.
Prometheus 3 (or Alien: Awakening) is not in active development anymore, and in the worst case, cancelled. Given the lukewarm reception and box office struggles of "Prometheus" and its sequel, "Alien: Covenant," the likelihood of "Prometheus 3" materializing has diminished considerably. Ridley Scott's ambitious narrative, which sought to explore the origins of the iconic Xenomorphs and their creators, the Engineers, may remain an unfinished symphony. This shift marks a crucial juncture in the franchise's history, as Disney, the new custodian of the "Alien" legacy, appears to be charting a course that departs from Scott's prequel series. Ridley Scott has moved on to direct other projects while his age still allows it, mostly focusing on historical epics, like Napoleon and Gladiator 2.
"Prometheus 3," had it come to fruition, would have continued the story of David, the enigmatic android with an unhealthy god complex. At the end of the last movie, David had full control over the 2000 colonists and 1140 embryos onboard the USCSS Covenant, in addition to the two proto-eggs he carried with him. The ship was headed to Origae-6, and David had no reason to change its course. Presumably, David would continue his sick experiments on the planet, waking up colonists one by one, and making full use of the two facehuggers available, possibly producing an Alien Queen. Both Daniels and Tennessee were also alive but in stasis, and David would have no motivation for making a quick awakening for them.
Additionally, Ridley Scott hinted at a storyline involving the return of the Engineers. In this envisioned sequel, the Engineers would have found their planet decimated by the Black Goo Pathogen, leading to an investigation by new characters, including the Engineers themselves. The narrative could have taken us to different planets - either the Engineers' home planet as seen in "Alien: Covenant," Origae-6, or perhaps even LV-426 from the original "Alien." This sequel would likely have bridged the gap between the "Prometheus" series and the original "Alien" film, potentially revealing the origins of the derelict spacecraft and the doomed Engineer found by the crew of the Nostromo. Perhaps the LV-426 derelict ship would have just crashed landed a few years before the events of Alien, and contained a familiar Engineer, or even David or Daniels in the Engineer suit.
Among the Alien projects being recently developed, another intriguing chapter was the subsequent cancellation of "Alien 5" by Neill Blomkamp. This project, which had generated significant interest among fans, was envisioned as a direct sequel to James Cameron's "Aliens," potentially bypassing the events of "Alien 3" and "Alien: Resurrection." Blomkamp's vision for "Alien 5" promised a return to the action-packed roots of "Aliens," complete with the return of iconic characters, including Hicks and Newt. However, this sequel was ultimately shelved in favor of Ridley Scott's "Alien: Covenant," a decision that redirected the franchise's trajectory and left fans wondering about the untapped potential of Blomkamp's concept. But now both continuations are canceled, with Alien: Awakening not moving forward, nor is Alien 5.
The "Alien" franchise, post-"Aliens," has been a rollercoaster of creative highs and lows. The series began to stray from its original blend of science fiction and horror, losing the unique balance that made the 1979 film a genre-defining masterpiece. With each new installment, including the somewhat badly received Alien vs. Predator movies, the franchise seemed to drift further from its roots. The later movies have often introduced bigger and "badder" Alien hybrids, while not focusing enough on the script and characters. Often times, the Alien games would be frontrunners of quality in the series, with highlights being Alien: Isolation and Aliens: Dark Descent.
Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, including the "Alien" franchise, has ushered in a new era. Fede lvarez, known for his work in horror, has been tasked with directing the next "Alien" film, titled Alien: Romulus. The movie would take place between Alien and Aliens, and not be a part of the Prometheus saga. This move signals a potential return to the franchise's horror-centric origins, a direction that many fans have longed for. Unlike the ambitious, universe-spanning themes of Scott's prequels, lvarez's vision is expected to focus more on the elements of horror and suspense that initially defined "Alien."
Adding to the rejuvenation of the franchise, an exciting development is the upcoming "Alien" TV series, set to air on FX on Hulu. This series represents a significant expansion of the "Alien" universe into the realm of television. The show, which is expected to explore the origins of Weyland-Yutani and other corporate powers, offers a promising new platform for storytelling beyond the constraints of film. It's an opportunity to delve deeper into the rich lore of the "Alien" universe, potentially exploring new characters, settings, and themes.
With the current status of Alien movies under Disney, Prometheus 3 (or Alien: Awakening) is not likely to happen, similarly to the rumored Alien vs. Predator 3. However, the characters from Alien: Covenant, including the Engineers, could still show up in Alien: Romulus and the FX TV series, although perhaps in a smaller role, or even a cameo. As the "Alien" franchise moves forward without Ridley Scott at the helm, there is both a sense of nostalgia for what might have been with "Prometheus 3" and anticipation for what lies ahead.
I have heard different things in different interviews; do you guys think Alien Awakening will be a prequel to AC; finally filling in what happened to Shaw and the Deacon or will it be the direct sequel that leads to Alien? Will there be a second film to fill the role for whichever scenario Awakening is not?
RS suggested 3-4 movies that would come in through the back door to alien. being 2 down, I just cant see him wrapping the prequels up in a way that does alien justice in less than 2 more movies. theres so much to cover that if he squashes it into a single movie, it WILL bomb imo. I doubt wer going to get a prequel to AC as tbh, I don't think Noomi would want to come back n who could blame her after the trashing Prometheus and AC got. I certainly would want nothing to do with it. I agree we need to see the deacon or at least find out its fate and im guessing the last film will see David returning to that area for whatever reason but I do see RS taking us back there. I see awakening catching upto David some years after AC as we follow a human expedition sent by the company to bring back his research but all hell breaks loose between the humans and engineers who have hunted down David. David will inevitably leave that planet and the next film will be near lv223/ lv426. that's what I see coming but it may differ towards its David in the covenant heading towards those moons or even earth
for example, say the wise men were infact engineers sent to protect jesus? they help raise him as a last chance for man to save himself. they fail and thus the engineers decide to eradicate us. the engineers on earth leave with a handful of humans they deem worthy of 'sacrifice' and head to lv223 and test the goo on the humans. it gets loose etc. now we have a tie in to the hologram in Prometheus and an answer as to what happened at the facility.
I agree ali81, less than two sequels and it fails. But I don't think he will get funding for two more films because I think these movies are cooked to the general public and will not make the returns Fox needs to justify them...
ali81 - I mentioned something like this a while back.. I always thought they could make an entire movie out of the LV 223 incident. It would even fit into the whole Alien franchise movie type. It would provide tons of info and detials on the Engineers, while also still maintaining the whole franchise theme of a group of "characters" in a confined area being hunted down by something after some sort of outbreak. Prometheus set it up perfectly, and it would allow so much to be explored with the Engineer side of everything. That could even be used to give their history and where the LV 223 Engineers came from and how they relate to the others.
Alien Awakening (which was actually Blomkamps Alien 5 title) will most likely be the next movie, RS even let slip that the next movie would be Alien Awakening, and that the order would be Alien Covenant, Alien Awakening and a 3rd movie.
This puts Alien Awakening at a point after Alien Covenant, if they are sticking to this Name, and RS now intends to cut the Xeno down or out, they would be in for some trouble because Awakening would be to do with the Xenomorph, we assume... if its about Awakening as in something else, AI or Engineers then it could wind some fans up.
But they need to understand the ALIEN Prefix is just to suggest the movie ties in with the Franchise, for example ALIEN Covenant was never about Xenomorphs making a Pact/Agreement with anyone. In fact the Title does not seem to even suggest any Covenant had been made at all, aside from a Pact between David and Shaw that David broke... which the movie only shows us the aftermath, and The Crossing Prologue shows us a Covenant had been made between them.
Sadly i dont think we will ever see what happened between Prometheus and Alien Covenant as far as Dr Shaw and the Engineers and David, clues in AC and the extras do suggest not all the Engineers died after Davids Bombardment. But we wont see this explored.... We did hold up hope that the AC Prequel novel would cover this... but the AC Prequel just covers a bit about the Yutani Company, and the Preparations for the Covenant Mission and how someone is trying to sabotage it.. But i have yet to read this... but while its a prequel to Alien Covenant, its only as far as the Covenant Mission and has nothing to do with Aliens (as far as i am aware).
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