#HicksLives! aka Prometheus 2 and the Pending Hold

ALIENS 2 ON HOLD FOR PROMETHEUS 2, I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, 

NOBODY WANTS MORE PROMETHEUS BULLSH@T! #HICKSLIVES! 

- My initial feelings on the news that prompted this article.

It's been nearly a year since Neill Blomkamp teased the internets with fan made artwork that entailed the continued adventures of older alien fighting couple Ripley and Hicks. Soon, it was made official that Blomkamp was working with Fox on a potential new film that would somehow follow James Cameron's original 1986 classic as well as take into account lackluster chapters Alien 3 and Resurrection which saw Ripley and Hicks perish. In the meantime, Ridley Scott was still talking up a sequel nobody really wanted to 2012's Prometheus, he would be producing Blomkamp's Aliens 2 and that would somehow interconnect the two stories even though they take place decades apart. Right around the release of Ridley Scott's Fox flick The Martian earlier this month, Blomkamp released an image of an updated pulse rifle, the weapon of choice of the Colonial Marines in Aliens. After suffering the successful if unloved Prometheus, Scott struck out with low budget The Counselor and delivered an expensive dud with Exodus: Gods and Kings. With The Martian garnering critical acclaim and boffo box office, it was announced that the Prometheus follow up would be titled Alien: Paradise Lost and start shooting in early 2016.

Last night Blomkamp stated that his Aliens movie was now on hold for Paradise Lost, effectively killing all of the momentum that has been built up. It was an immediate punch in the movie lover gut to me as I've always liked Aliens much more than Alien. Just throw in the trash with the rest of my dreams and the under review sequel to Pacific Rim...The prospect of an Aliens sequel set 30 years later with older and gruffer versions of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley and Michael Biehn's Hicks is personally much more exciting than more rehash/retread/reboot that Paradise will be. The story just lends itself to a broader world with aliens and technology while utilizing some thrilling and atmospheric action grit. It's funny that Fox didn't want Prometheus to be a direct Alien film and it shows in its half reboot/half prequel execution which yielded a handsome and enjoyable enough film that drew the ire of many a viewer with it's Lost style, "let's ask 20 questions and answer 2" motif. After doing decent box office while eliciting poor word of mouth, the Prometheus sequel becomes a direct Alien film, exploring more ho-hum Space Jockey storylines with a younger, more mainstream cast. Business wise it makes sense, Scott has been working with Fox for some time producing and directing with their latest collaboration becoming a huge hit. Meanwhile Blomkamp is coming off the not successful Chappie and Sigorney Weaver or Michael Biehn are far from magazine cover fodder.

What's next? I think it's up to Blomkamp to make a kick ass picture that's a huge hit so Fox will be begging him to come back. Weaver will never lack for work while Biehn just had a kid and is financially stable from his long career and frequent convention appearances to be able to turn down roles. It's a two way street, if Prometheus 2 does well, Fox may want to focus on more chapters or if it tanks, they may get cold feet for the Alien universe in general. I hope the Aliens sequel happens but that cinematic dream has just come screeching to a halt for at least a couple of years...

#HicksLives! aka Michael Biehn and Alien 5?

Since images of a proposed Alien sequel started popping up on Neill Blomkamp's Instagram account on New Years Day, the internet has been rife with rumors on what was going on. Blomkamp is a known fan of the Ridley Scott and James Cameron films and had revealed he'd been working on an Alien movie in his spare time without Fox's awareness or permission. The young director had just worked with Alien star Sigourney Weaver on the yet to be released Chappie and had apparently run ideas past her. Weaver's interest was piqued and soon it was officially announced that Blomkamp would be making a new Alien film, possibly two, that would follow the events of 1986's Aliens.

Fans were semi-divided on the inclusion of alive in Aliens but dead in Alien 3 Corporal Hicks, played by one Michael Biehn. Blomkamp's artwork showed off an older and scarred Hicks so unless it's a dream, the events of Alien 3 would essentially be jettisoned. I honestly don't have a problem with that as Alien 3 was released 20 years ago and was not exactly a celebrated entry into the franchise. Take into account that Hicks doesn't die on screen in Aliens and I don't see many casual movie goers being too upset about it. Approaching the release of Chappie, Weaver was announced to be returning to the series that would aim to be a sequel to Aliens without totally ignoring 3 and 4th flick Resurrection. Ridley Scott's Prometheus that was an entertaining if overreaching pseudo prequel/reboot to Alien that no one is clamoring for a follow up to. Chappie failed to garner much in terms of box office gross or positive reviews but Alien 5 is still moving forward. Scott is producing and asked Blomkamp to make a simple story change to not affect Prometheus 2.

With Weaver back, what did that mean for Biehn? With Hick's image and character so prominently displayed, readers were questioning if he would return. At a convention in Florida, it's alleged that Biehn was aware of the new film and had been contacted. Cut to last week and news hit across the internet from Empire to Dark Horizons that Michael Biehn's private Instagram was announcing his involvement in Alien 5 and his return as Hicks. The only problem is that Biehn isn't on Instagram as confirmed by wife and producing partner Jennifer-Blanc Biehn via Facebook. While it sounds like Biehn is interested and talks are in progress, nothing is official unfortunately. But on a congratulatory note, it looks like Blanc gave birth to son Dashiell Biehn this past weekend and is in good spirits.

Until then #HicksLives (maybe) and #F@ckAlien3!

#HicksLives! aka Neill Blomkamp's Aliens

It was New Years day and I was recovering from the night before when it happened.  District 9 writer and director Neill Blomkamp's Instagram started posting concept art from a mysterious Alien sequel.  Not any old money wringing follow up though but what looked like a direct sequel to 1986's groundbreaking Aliens!  You know, where xenomorph attack survivor Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) joins a ragtag group of Colonial Space Marines to investigate what ends up being an overrun colony?  Then fights off the workers and their giant, bitch queen with pulse rifles, flame throwers, grenades and a power loader?  While Ridley Scott crafted an atmospheric, creepy slasher flick with truck drivers in space, James Cameron turned his sequel into a self contained roller coaster action flick.  Featuring a fan favorite and Cameron collaborating cast including Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jeanette Goldstein and Mark Rolston; Aliens has lived for nearly 30 years in various comic book, video game and toy form.

It wasn't the artwork of Ripley wearing some kind of alien costume, or his rendition of the mysterious xenomorph ship or even the sleek Weyland-Yutani technology that caught my eye.  Instead it was the return of mother fucking Michael Biehn as Hicks, the soft spoken Marine thrown into command after his superior is wasted.  By the end of Cameron's chapter, a family dynamic between "mother" Ripley, "daughter" Newt (Carrie Henn), "father" Hicks and "weird artificial person uncle" Bishop (Henriksen) was beautifully formed.  As you know, Biehn excelled as the sensitive yet physical action hero in The Terminator and Aliens before headlining projects big and small like Navy Seals and Timebomb in the 90's.  With a third installment inevitable but Weaver's participation in question, producers David Giler and Walter Hill pursued a sequel that could or could not include Ripley's character.  A script by cyber-punk author William Gibson following Hicks and Bishop on a space station was commissioned.  Early into the process, Biehn, the actor who brought Hicks to life after original actor James Remar was fired, was told he would not be asked to return.  I'm guessing the studio wanted a known star and not an actor who had provided great performances but played second fiddle to women in two back to back hits.

Gibson's script was deemed lackluster and Friday the 13th part Four director Renny Harlin was hired.  The visual and kinetic helmer from Finland worked on the project for a year, trying to take us to the alien planet but was vetoed due to budget concerns.  An idea to bring the creatures to earth and having Ripley and Hicks fight them there was also jettisoned.  Frustrated at the lack of progress, Harlin quit and went on to direct The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Die Hard 2: Die Harder for studio Fox.  Eventually the notion of a floating colony turned into a desolate planet prison and after lots of wasted time and money, Alien 3 was released starring Weaver as Ripley with Hicks and Newt's characters being killed off in the opening minutes.  Originally, a double of Biehn post chest burster explosion was to be featured in the film but Biehn and his agent told young director David Fincher and Fox they didn't have their permission.  In the end, a photo of Biehn as Hicks was used and the actor was paid nearly his Aliens salary for his trouble.

What did Blomkamp's version entail?  Nobody really knows.  Nobody even knows if it was sanctioned by Fox or just a side project from a passionate fan who is also a successful filmmaker.  But having older versions of Ripley and a scarred Hicks fighting aliens again set the fan forums and internets on fire.  While some argued how you could skip Alien 3 and fourth chapter Resurrection (Ripley kills herself in 3 and is a clone in 4), I honestly didn't think it was that big a deal.  These characters have lived on for nearly 30 years in various formats with Hicks and Newt fighting their way through a Dark Horse Comics mini-series and Hicks (complete with Biehn voicing) popped up in 2013's letdown video game Colonial Marines with no explanation on how he survived.  Personally, I don't think the average movie goer would notice if they made a straight sequel to Aliens with no mention of 3 or Resurrection as enough time has passed and only a handful of hardcore fans would notice.  Let's face it, Fox isn't that interested in continuity, didn't you see half prequel, half sequel Prometheus?  Or how about the X-Men franchise which has no continuity: Professor X is evaporated at the end of 2004's part 3 then magically puts his consciousness into another body and by this past summers Days of Future Past is back with no explanation.  The filmmakers tried to address the reboot/sequel plot holes (offscreen, never in an actual movie) by saying Xavier had a twin brother who was in a coma for the last 50 years...Ok that explains why he looks like Patrick Stewart but why would he be in a wheelchair too?  Exactly, the $750 million bucks worth of movie goers didn't really care.  And the small pack of complaining fanboys don't make up enough of the general population to make a difference.  While no one is clamoring to see what Prometheus 2 would bring us, there has been an outpouring to bring back Hicks and Ripley so let's do the Damme thing!

Hicks lives, fuck Alien 3!