Scott attached to 'Alien' prequel (VAR, BD)

By Nancy Tartaglione

Fox is resuscitating its "Alien" franchise. Ridley Scott is attached to return as director to the series he created in 1979 while the studio has hired Jon Spaihts to write a prequel. The new film will precede the 1979 sci-fi horror movie that proclaimed "In space no one can hear you scream."

In the original, which starred Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planet. However, the crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them. And there was of course that awful gastroenterological problem suffered by John Hurt...

Spaihts, says Variety, got the writing job after pitching the studio and Scott Free, which will produce the film. A new go-to-guy for space thrillers, Spaihts was hired by Keanu Reeves to write the space journey epic "Passengers" at Morgan Creek. That script got Spaihts the meeting with Fox and Scott Free.

Separately, Fox has separately hired Spaihts to rewrite "The Darkest Hour," which Timur Bekmambetov is to produce with Tom Jacobson. Spaihts is also writing "Children of Mars" for Disney and Scott Rudin. He will follow by rewriting "St. George and the Dragon" for Sony and Red Wagon.

The original "Alien" spawned three sequels, but this is the first time that Scott has set his mind on directing one.

Bloody Disgusting echoes what are likely the sentiments of many saying, "If there's one way to win over the fans, it's to bring the original helmer back onboard with his blessings."