Despite widespread excitement about District 9 director Neill Blomkamp landing the job of directing the new Alien film primarily because of positive reactions to his concept art, some fans of the franchise are already preparing themselves for disappointment.
Whether it’s because—as even Blomkamp will admit—Elysium wasn’t very impressive, or simply because an assessment of the Alien series thus far proves the chasm between anticipation and eventual fan reactions, there is at least some chance that Alien 5, or Aliens Again, or whatever it ends up being called, could end up being a bad movie. But star Sigourney Weaver has enough confidence for everyone.
In a conversation with Variety, Weaver said that she “can’t think of a better director” to direct the next Alien film. She explained:
[Blomkamp is] a real fan. I think he’ll be true to the world and take it in unexpected directions. It’s got a lot of sinew in it. It will certainly stand up to the others and probably break a lot of new ground as well.
In addition, Blomkamp told Variety that what excites him about making an Alien film is the departure in tone from his previous work. “I would love to make something in that world because the films use terror and dread and filmmaking techniques that are different than what I’ve dabbled in before,” he said.
So yeah, the primary players involved in the project are excited, and that’s a good first step. But until there’s a script worthy of the first two films, fans will likely continue to experience those feelings of dread that Blomkamp is so stoked about.