Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Ridley Scott |
Screenplay by |
|
Story by |
|
Based on | |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
Edited by | Pietro Scalia |
Music by | Jed Kurzel |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 122 minutes[2] |
Countries | |
Language | English |
Budget | $97–111 million[4][5] |
Box office | $240.9 million[4] |
Alien: Covenant is a 2017 science fiction horror film directed and produced by Ridley Scott, and written by John Logan and Dante Harper from a story by Michael Green and Jack Paglen. A joint American and British production, it is a sequel to Prometheus (2012), the eighth film in the Alien franchise, and the second entry in the prequel series. It features returning star Michael Fassbender, with Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, and Demián Bichir in supporting roles. It follows the crew of a colony ship that lands on an uncharted planet and makes a terrifying discovery.
In 2012, before the release of Prometheus, Scott discussed the prospects of a sequel and new trilogy, and this film was confirmed that August. Principal photography began on April 4, 2016, at Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, and wrapped on July 19, 2016. Effects houses Odd Studios and CreatureNFX provided the film's makeup and animatronic creature effects. Scott said the film's first cut was 2 hours and 23 minutes, which was edited down by over twenty minutes.
Alien: Covenant premiered in London on May 4, 2017. It was released by 20th Century Fox on May 12 in the United Kingdom, and on May 19 in the United States. It received generally positive reviews from critics but underperformed at the box office; its worldwide gross was $240 million against a production budget of approximately $100 million, not including marketing costs.
Plot
[edit]In a prologue,[a] business magnate Peter Weyland speaks with his newly activated android in a lakeside apartment. The android chooses the name "David" for himself after observing Michelangelo's statue. Weyland states that one day they will search for mankind's creator together. David comments on his unlimited lifespan as compared to Weyland's, which unsettles Weyland.
In 2104 AD,[b] eleven years after the Prometheus expedition, the colonization ship Covenant is seven years from reaching planet Origae-6 with 2,000 colonists in stasis and 1,140 human embryos in cold storage. The ship is monitored by Walter, an advanced android model that physically resembles David. When a neutrino burst damages the ship, Walter reanimates the human crewmates. The ship's captain, Jake Branson, is incinerated when his stasis pod malfunctions. While repairing the ship, the crew picks up a transmission of a human voice from a nearby planet which appears eminently more habitable than Origae-6. Despite the protests of Daniels, Branson's widow, that this new "perfect" planet is too good to be true, the new captain, Christopher Oram, decides to investigate.
With pilot Tennessee maintaining the Covenant in orbit, his wife Maggie Faris flies a lander to the planet's surface, where an expedition team tracks the transmission's signal to a crashed alien ship. Crewmembers Ledward and Tom Hallet are infected by spores from fungus-like organisms; Christopher's wife, Karine Oram, helps the rapidly deteriorating Ledward back to the lander, where Faris quarantines both inside the med-bay. An alien creature, the neomorph, bursts from Ledward's back, killing him, and also kills Karine. Faris tries to dispatch the creature with a shotgun, but accidentally triggers an explosion, immolating herself and destroying the lander. Another neomorph bursts from Hallet's mouth, killing him. The creatures attack the remaining crew, fatally injuring crew member Ankor. The remaining crew destroys one neomorph before David, who survived the Prometheus mission, appears and drives off the other.
David leads the crew to a temple in a city full of dead humanoids. He tells them that, upon his and fellow Prometheus survivor Elizabeth Shaw's arrival at the planet, their ship accidentally released a pathogen that annihilated all fauna on the planet and that Shaw perished when the ship crashed. Attempts to radio the Covenant are prevented by ion storms. When the remaining neomorph infiltrates the temple and kills crewmember Sarah Rosenthal, David tries to communicate with it and is incensed when Oram shoots it dead. Oram questions David, who reveals that the aliens are a result of his releasing and experimenting with the pathogen to produce new lifeforms, before tricking Oram into being attacked by a facehugger. A new form of creature, the Praetomorph,[c] later erupts from Oram's chest, killing him.
As the others search for Oram and Rosenthal, Walter finds Shaw's dissected corpse, used by David as material for his evolving creature designs. David states that humanity is a dying and unworthy species, and that his designed creature is a "perfect organism" that will eradicate them. When Walter disagrees, David incapacitates him and threatens Daniels. Walter heals himself and engages David, allowing Daniels to escape.
Elsewhere, another facehugger attacks security chief Dan Lope. Crewmember Cole cuts it free, leaving Lope with acid burns on his face. The now fully grown Praetomorph kills Cole, while Lope escapes and meets up with Daniels. Tennessee uses the Covenant's cargo lift to extract Daniels, Lope and Walter, who claims to have bested David. They kill the attacking Praetomorph and return to the Covenant.
The next morning, Daniels and Tennessee discover that a Praetomorph has burst from Lope's chest, killing him, and is loose on the Covenant; it matures and kills crewmembers Ricks and Upworth. Daniels and Tennessee lure the creature into the Covenant's terraforming bay and eject it into space using heavy equipment.
The Covenant resumes its voyage to Origae-6. As Walter puts Daniels in stasis, she realizes he is actually David but is unable to escape from her pod before losing consciousness. David regurgitates two facehugger embryos, which he places in cold storage. Posing as Walter, he sends a transmission stating that all crew members except Daniels and Tennessee were killed by the earlier solar-flare incident, intending to harvest their bodies for further experimentation.
Cast
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them_Japan_Premiere_Red_Carpet-_Katherine_Waterston_%28461451427%29_%28Cropped%29.jpg/190px-Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them_Japan_Premiere_Red_Carpet-_Katherine_Waterston_%28461451427%29_%28Cropped%29.jpg)
- Michael Fassbender as David 8 and Walter One,[3] two synthetic androids. David is an older model who was a crewmember on the destroyed Prometheus, while Walter is a newer model who monitors the Covenant.[6]
- Katherine Waterston as Daniels, the chief of terraforming for the Covenant mission and the wife of the ship's captain, Jacob Branson. She is the third in command after Branson and Oram.[7] Waterston said she was well aware of the comparisons that were going to be made between her and Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, but that she tried not to think about it too much while filming for fear of being intimidated.[8]
- Billy Crudup as Christopher Oram, the Covenant's first officer (then captain) and Karine's husband. Oram is a self-serious man of faith who believes their role on the Covenant is an act of providence, and shares a "contentious" relationship with Daniels.[9]
- Danny McBride as Tennessee, the chief pilot of the Covenant and Maggie's husband.[10]
- Demián Bichir as Dan Lope, the head of the security unit aboard the Covenant and Sergeant Hallett's husband.[11]
- Carmen Ejogo as Karine Oram, the Covenant's biologist and Christopher's wife.[9]
- Jussie Smollett as Ricks, the Covenant's navigator and Upworth's husband.[12]
- Callie Hernandez as Upworth, the Covenant's communications officer and Ricks' wife; she also has paramedic training.[13]
- Amy Seimetz as Maggie Faris, the pilot of the lander and Tennessee's wife.[14]
- Nathaniel Dean as Tom Hallett, a member of the security unit and Lope's husband.[11]
- Alexander England as Ankor, a member of the security unit.[3]
- Benjamin Rigby as Ledward, a member of the security unit.[3]
- Uli Latukefu as Cole, a member of the security unit.[3]
- Tess Haubrich as Sarah Rosenthal, a member of the security unit.[15]
A number of actors appear in uncredited roles. Guy Pearce reprises his role as Peter Weyland, the trillionaire founder and CEO of Weyland Corporation (the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in "later" storylines) who died shortly before the destruction of the Prometheus.[16] James Franco appears onscreen in photos and a video as Jacob Branson, the original captain of the Covenant and deceased husband of Daniels; he also appears in deleted scenes and a short promotional prologue to Covenant.[17] Noomi Rapace, who played archaeologist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw in Prometheus, appeared in a short promotional prologue to Covenant that was set in the period between the two movies, but does not act in the final cut of the movie itself, though her voice is heard from the planet early in the film and her image and voice appear later.[18][19]
Other credited parts include Lorelei King as the voice of the Covenant's computer "Mother".[20] Goran D. Kleut is credited in two roles, as both a neomorph and a xenomorph,[21] while Andrew Crawford is credited as a neomorph.[22]
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]Alien: Covenant is the second film in the Alien prequel series, and the sixth installment in the Alien franchise. It is the third Alien film to be directed by Ridley Scott. In 2012, prior to the release of Prometheus, the first prequel (the fifth Alien film overall), director Ridley Scott began hinting at the prospect of a sequel, as Prometheus had left many questions unanswered.[23][24][25] He said a sequel would follow Shaw, the protagonist of Prometheus, to her next destination, "because if it is paradise, paradise cannot be what you think it is. Paradise has a connotation of being extremely sinister and ominous." Prometheus co-writer Damon Lindelof cast doubt on his own participation, saying, "if [Scott] wants me to be involved in something, that would be hard to say no to. At the same time, I do feel like the movie might benefit from a fresh voice or a fresh take or a fresh thought."[26] In June, Scott said an additional film would be required to bridge the >100-year gap between the Prometheus sequel and Alien.[27]
As of August 1, 2012[update], 20th Century Fox was pursuing a sequel with Scott, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender involved, and talking to new writers in case Lindelof did not return.[28] In December 2012, Lindelof ultimately chose not to work on the project.[29] Early on, Scott stated the film would feature no xenomorphs as he wanted to phase the xenomorph out to focus on David 8, whose A.I. was the new alien lifeform.[30][31] He later made statements confirming the xenomorph's presence in the film, mainly due to feedback to Prometheus.[32][33]
On September 24, 2015, Scott disclosed the film's title as Alien: Paradise Lost.[34] In November 2015, he revealed the new title was Alien: Covenant, and that filming would begin in February 2016 in Australia.[35] An official logo, synopsis and release date were released on November 16, 2015.[36] In an interview about the development of the David character since Prometheus, Scott described the dark turn David would take in Covenant: "He hates them. He has no respect for Engineers and no respect for human beings."[37]
Writing
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/John_Logan_headshot_color_2009.jpg/190px-John_Logan_headshot_color_2009.jpg)
The initial screenplay was written by Transcendence screenwriter Jack Paglen in June 2013.[38] In March 2014, Michael Green was hired to rewrite Paglen's script.[39] Dante Harper later wrote a new script, but an extensive rewrite was performed by screenwriter John Logan. Logan had previously worked with Scott on Gladiator.[32]
For Logan, the main concept was to adopt a dual plot line for the film that would combine the horror elements of Alien with the philosophical elements of Prometheus. He said, "With Alien: Covenant, I just really wanted to write something that had the feel of the original Alien, because seeing that movie was one of the great events of my youth. It was so overpowering in terms of what it communicated to me and its implications, that when I started talking to Ridley about what became Alien: Covenant, I said, 'You know, that was a hell of a scary movie.' I wanted to write a horror movie because the Grand Guignol elements of Alien are so profound. We tried to recapture that with Alien: Covenant, while also trying to pay homage to the deeper implications of Prometheus. In terms of tone, pace, and how we chose to play this particular symphony, we wanted to create a really frightening movie."[32]
Pre-production
[edit]In late August 2015, Scott confirmed that he had started scouting locations for the film.[40] In October 2015, the Australian government attracted the production of this film, and of Thor: Ragnarok, to Australia by providing AU$47.25 million in grants.[41][42] Woz Productions Ltd., a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, visited Te Anau, New Zealand, on March 28, 2016, to scout locations for filming in Fiordland.[43]
Casting
[edit]In August 2015, it was announced that the film would star Rapace and Fassbender, while Rik Barnett was in talks to join the cast.[44] That December, Katherine Waterston was cast in the lead role of Daniels;[45] it was Waterston's second film alongside Fassbender, after Steve Jobs. Summer Glau, Carolyn Murphy and Alice Eve were also being considered. Dariusz Wolski, longtime collaborator with Scott, was confirmed to serve as the film's cinematographer.[46] In 2016, Ridley Scott stated that Noomi Rapace would not reprise her role of Elizabeth Shaw.[47] However, in June, it was announced that Rapace would shoot a week's worth of scenes (though no new footage of hers appeared in the final film).[48][49] Creature designer Carlos Huantes said in a 2019 interview that he believed it was the studio's decision to remove her from the film.[50]
In February 2016, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Jussie Smollett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo, Callie Hernandez, Billy Crudup, and Alexander England were reported to have joined the cast.[10][51][52][53][54] In March 2016, newcomer Benjamin Rigby also joined the cast.[55] In December 2016, it was announced James Franco had been cast in the role of Captain Branson, husband to Daniels and captain of the Covenant.[56] The role of Branson in the film was limited to a cameo appearance of the deceased captain.
Production design
[edit]Adam Savage went on a tour of several of the props and stage sets used in the filming which included an alien spaceship which had first appeared in Prometheus. This set had to be recreated for Alien: Covenant as the set used in Prometheus had been destroyed.[57] In an article for The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Shanley interviewed the art director for the film, Damien Drew, and creature design supervisor Conor O'Sullivan regarding the involvement of the San Diego Zoo and its representative Rick Schwartz as a consultant for the design of the realistic effects of the creatures and Xenomorphs appearing throughout the film as Scott wanted a more 'organic' feeling to the creatures as opposed to the 'biomechanical' inspiration of H.R. Giger which had inspired the creature designs in the original films.[58] Scott provided anatomical studies and references from La Specola, a natural history museum in Florence, to O'Sullivan as inspiration.[58]
The visual effects (VFX) supervisor Charles Henley summarized the several vendors that were used to support production of the visual special effects seen in the film when the selection process was discussed, stating, "Both history and need guided the decisions on which vendors we used. Ridley had worked with MPC on many previous projects, in particular Prometheus for which I was Moving Picture Company's (MPC) VFX supervisor as well as The Martian. There had a been a lot of great digital double and creature work done at MPC on recent projects so there was confidence they should be the lead facility. Framestore had recently worked with Ridley on space for The Martian, similarly Animal Logic now had the original crew who did the holograms for Prometheus. Also as we were shooting in Australia there was good reason and incentives to use Australian-based companies and so Luma and Rising Sun came on board."[59]
Filming
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Milford_sound_Nouvelle_Z%C3%A9lande_03_mars_2005.jpg/240px-Milford_sound_Nouvelle_Z%C3%A9lande_03_mars_2005.jpg)
Principal photography for the film began on April 4, 2016, at Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand,[60][61][62][63] and wrapped on July 19, 2016.[64] Some footage was also filmed at Leavesden Studios in England,[65] which included reshoots.[66] The complete list of countries used for filming were listed by BFI in Sight & Sound as the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and New Zealand.[67] Previous partial lists often listed only one of the four countries involved in the development and production of the film.[68][3][69]
Effects houses Odd Studios and CreatureNFX provided the film's makeup and animatronic creature effects, respectively,[70][71] while Australian-based effects house Animal Logic provided the film's digital visual effects.[72] Approximately 30 people from CreatureNFX worked on the project for almost six months building animatronics.[71] Actors wearing creature suits with animatronic heads were used to portray the aliens on-set.[71][73]
Post-production
[edit]Pietro Scalia, the editor of the film, spoke of the structural difficulty of integrating the two story lines in the final editing of the film and how the need to keep momentum was important. He did this by not repeatedly jumping between scenes which he said made parts of the film "belaboured and tedious", as well as combining certain scenes and eliminating others. Another issue highlighted was the reveal of David as;
"Once the Covenant Story merges with the Prometheus storyline finding the proper structural order of the scenes proofed [sic] to be difficult because of the distinctive dynamics of the two story lines in addition to the separation of the two locations of the action. In one sense the action, the tension and unfolding drama going from one group to the other had to be balanced and spaced properly as not to loose [sic] the connective tissue of the film."[74]
Scott said the first cut of the film was two hours and 23 minutes long, which was eventually edited down to 2 hours and 3 minutes for the released version. Scott used test screenings to decide what to cut.[75][76]
Music
[edit]The musical score for Alien: Covenant was written by Australian musician and composer Jed Kurzel. Initially, Harry Gregson-Williams was selected as the film's composer.[77] When the first trailer was released in late 2016, Kurzel was revealed as the replacement for Gregson-Williams.[78] Themes from Jerry Goldsmith's original score for Alien were incorporated, as well as themes from Marc Streitenfeld's and Harry Gregson-Williams' score for Prometheus.[79] A version of "Nature Boy" sung by Norwegian singer and songwriter Aurora was used in the first trailer, while another song, "Under the Water", was used in a short promotional film featuring the character Daniels (Katherine Waterston) battling a xenomorph.[80][81]
Melanie De Biasio's track "I Feel You – Eels Remix" was used as the soundtrack for the in-universe short film Meet Walter, starring Michael Fassbender, that was created to promote the film.[82]
Additional song credits include "Theme from Alien" composed by Jerry Goldsmith, "Das Rheingold, Scene 4: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" composed by Richard Wagner,[83] "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" by Fred Gilbert, "Ancient Flute", "Life" and "We Were Right" composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, and "Let Me Down Easy" by Paolo Nutini.[84]
Release
[edit]In the run up to release, 20th Century Fox released a number of short prologue films as part of the marketing for Alien: Covenant. The first, called Prologue: Last Supper, was directed by Ridley Scott's son Luke Scott and features the crew of the Covenant having a last meal before they enter cryosleep.[85] The second prologue, called The Crossing and directed by Ridley Scott, reveals what happened to Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and the android David (Michael Fassbender) following the ending of Prometheus.[86] Another was called Meet Walter, starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Luke Scott, which was a fictional advertisement for the Walter series of androids.[87]
Alien: Covenant premiered on May 4, 2017, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.[88] The film was released on May 19 in the United States.[89][90][88] It was originally set to be released on October 6, 2017, before being moved up to August 4, and then again to its final date.[91][92]
The version of the film released in China on June 16, 2017, was six minutes shorter than the version released elsewhere due to censorship with most of the scenes involving the aliens[93] and a scene where the two characters played by Michael Fassbender kiss having been cut.[94][95] The film was released in Japan on September 15, 2017.[96] The Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD releases of the film came out on August 15, 2017. The home release includes an audio commentary by the director and 22 minutes of deleted scenes and unused footage from the first cut of the film.[97]
Adaptations
[edit]Novelization
[edit]The theatrical release of the film was accompanied by the release of a novelization by Alan Dean Foster, who also authored the novelization of the original Alien film.[98] A companion volume about the film's art and stage design was released at the same time, written by Simon Ward and titled The Art and Making of Alien: Covenant.[99]
A second Covenant novel by Foster was initially billed as a sequel to the film, before being revealed to be a direct prequel to Covenant under the title Alien: Covenant – Origins.[100] Titan Books, as publisher of the book, released a plot summary in advance of its release on September 26, 2017:
As the colony ship Covenant prepares for launch, and the final members of the crew are chosen, a series of violent events reveals a conspiracy to sabotage the launch. Yet the perpetrators remain hidden behind a veil of secrecy. The threat reaches all the way up to Hideo Yutani—the head of the newly merged Weyland-Yutani Corporation—when his daughter is kidnapped. Is the conspiracy the product of corporate espionage, or is it something even more sinister? While Captain Jacob Branson[d] and his wife Daniels prepare the ship, Security chief Dan Lopé signs a key member of his team, and together they seek to stop the technologically advanced saboteurs before anyone else is killed, and the ship itself is destroyed in orbit.[102]
Virtual reality
[edit]On April 26, 2017, 20th Century Fox released Alien: Covenant In Utero, a virtual reality interactive demo teaser for Alien: Covenant for the Oculus Rift and the Samsung Gear VR. The experience was produced by RSA, FoxNext VR, MPC, Mach1, AMD Radeon, and Dell Alienware.[103][104] The trailer is a first-person experience in which the viewer plays the role of a neomorph. The experience was executive produced by Scott and directed by David Karlak.[105]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Alien: Covenant underperformed at the box office grossing a worldwide total of $240.9 million, including $74.3 million in the United States and Canada and $166.6 million in other countries, against a production budget of $97 million,[4][106] not including marketing costs.[107] The film was a box office disappointment for the studio, especially when compared to Prometheus which had grossed a worldwide total of $403.4 million.[107][108]
Fox released the film in several countries before the United States.[109][110] It was released in 34 markets, where it debuted to $40.1 million, opening at number one in 19 of them. Its overall rank for the weekend was second behind the continued run of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[111] The top openings were in South Korea ($7.2 million), the UK ($6.4 million), France ($4.5 million), Australia ($3.1 million), and Mexico ($2.5 million).[111] In China, the film was released on June 16 and grossed $30 million, topping the box office.[112][113] In North America, the film was released alongside Everything, Everything and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, and was projected to gross around $40 million from 3,760 theaters during its opening weekend.[114][115] It made $4.3 million from Thursday-night previews at about 3,000 theaters, and $15.4 million overall on its first day, which was below the $21.5 million Friday of Prometheus five years prior.[116] It went on to open to $36.2 million, down 30% from Prometheus's debut, but still finishing first at the box office,[4] as the third-highest debut of the series when not counting for inflation.[117][118][119] In its second weekend, the film grossed $10.5 million, finishing fourth at the box office and dropping 70.9%.[120][121][122] The film was pulled from 1,112 theaters in its third weekend and dropped another 62.3%, finishing sixth at the box office with $4 million.[123]
Critical response
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Michael_Fassbender_by_Gage_Skidmore_2015.jpg/190px-Michael_Fassbender_by_Gage_Skidmore_2015.jpg)
Alien: Covenant received generally positive reviews from critics.[124] The film has a 65% approval from 406 reviews compiled by review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Alien: Covenant delivers another satisfying round of close-quarters deep-space terror, even if it doesn't take the saga in any new directions."[125] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100, based on reviews from 52 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[126] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by its predecessor.[118]
Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film three stars out of five, stating that Alien: Covenant is "a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments. The paradox is that though you are intended to recognize these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time. For all this, the film is very capably made, with forceful, potent performances from Waterston and Fassbender."[127] Geoffrey McNab, writing for The Independent, stated that it "certainly delivers what you'd expect from an Aliens film—spectacle, body horror, strong Ripley-like female protagonists and some astonishing special effects—but there's also a dispiriting sense that the film isn't at all sure of its own identity." He found the screenplay "very portentous" and concluded that "the crew members pitted against the monstrous creatures are trying their darndest to blast them to kingdom come, just as they would in any run-of-the-mill sci-fi B movie."[128]
A. O. Scott of The New York Times said, "Alien: Covenant is an interesting movie ... for all its interplanetary ranging, [it] commits itself above all to the canny management of expectations."[129] Trace Thurman, from Bloody Disgusting, gave the film a mediocre review, noting that although watching Alien: Covenant will make viewers appreciate Prometheus more, "this is a film that was made as a response to Prometheus critics but tries to appease fans of that film as well and it doesn't fully work." He also criticizes the overfamiliarity of the climax and insufficiently developed characters.[130] Collider's review of the film stated that Scott "finds himself stuck between two constructs—the action-horror beats of an Alien film, and the weighty, ponderous themes of a Prometheus movie—and by indulging both, he never fully satisfies either. The result is a messy film that is at turns, exquisite and infuriating."[131]
In a review for The Independent Clarisse Loughrey gave the film five stars describing it as "relentless and overwhelming, but all in the very best of ways" and as a "mightily impressive piece of cinematic engineering" which has brought together the Alien franchise. Loughrey praised Katherine Waterston for her "impressive work" as Daniels and went on to single out Fassbender for playing a "deeply frightening, scene-stealing antagonist".[132] Sinead Brennan for RTÉ, gave the film 7/10, but gave high praise to Fassbender who she says "steals the show; seriously, he's incredible".[133] Meanwhile, Neil Soans in a three star review for The Times of India, highlighted Danny McBride's performance as the most surprising given his comedic roots.[134]
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com highly praised Alien: Covenant, giving it four out of four stars and stating that the film's structure, although repeatedly borrowing from other Alien films, serves a purpose not unlike the James Bond film series or Star Wars, "where part of the fun lies in seeing what variations the artists can bring while satisfying a rigid structure." He also emphasized that, like previous films of the series, real-world logic should not be applied to the film, and "[i]nstead you have to judge it by the standards of a fever dream or nightmare, a Freudian-Jungian narrative where the thing you fear most is what happens to you."[135] Seitz later voted for it in Sight & Sound as one of the five best films of 2017.[136]
In New York magazine, David Edelstein commented on David the android as representing a new generation of monster villains in the tradition of Frankenstein, stating, "In Star Trek, that man-machine nexus was...hopeful. Here, there's some doubt about David's ultimate motives, which puts Alien: Covenant squarely in the tradition of the Terminator and Matrix movies. And, of course, the novel Frankenstein, which carried the subtitle The Modern Prometheus. No less than Stephen Hawking—who survived with the aid of machines—has predicted that we have 100 years to live before evolved machines take human imperfection as justification for destroying humanity".[137]
Kevin Lincoln, writing for Vulture, gave a strong endorsement of the depiction of David as an arch-villain in the film stating, "... one franchise is showing it's still possible for a modern blockbuster to have a great villain. In Alien: Covenant, David—the android played by Michael Fassbender, first introduced in Prometheus—comes into his own as a fleshed-out, dynamic, and genuinely striking antagonist, one who isn't just an equal match for the heroes, but even becomes the central thread of the series. He's a huge part of what makes Alien: Covenant work."[138]
Writing for Vox, Alissa Wilkinson said that "Alien: Covenant is too muddled to pull off its deeply ambitious Satan allegories". She emphasized the Miltonic demonic aspect of the android David: "But David is a better Satan than Satan himself ... It's as if in the Alien universe, the devil has evolved, thanks to humans creating him. David, fatally, has the ability to create—something Satan never had—and he will use that power only to destroy. He doesn't have any real need to rebel against his maker, since from the moment he became sentient, he knew he'd already won. He is indestructible, and determined to make creatures that imitate his drive for total domination."[139]
Accolades
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | IndieWire Critics Poll | Most Anticipated of 2017 | Alien: Covenant | Nominated | [140] |
2017 | Golden Schmoes Awards | Biggest Disappointment of the Year | Alien: Covenant | Nominated | [141] |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Horror Poster | Domestic Teaser, 20th Century Fox, InSync Plus | Won | [142] | |
Best Sound Editing | Theirs, 20th Century Fox, Wild Card | Nominated | |||
Best Summer 2017 Blockbuster TV Spot | Run / Madness, 20th Century Fox, Wild Card | Nominated | |||
Best Summer Blockbuster Poster | Domestic Teaser, 20th Century Fox, InSync Plus | Nominated | |||
Best Teaser Poster | Domestic Teaser, 20th Century Fox, InSync Plus | Nominated | |||
Hawaii Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Michael Fassbender | Nominated | [143] | |
Satellite Awards | Best Visual Effects | Alien: Covenant | Nominated | [144] | |
Sierra Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Michael Fassbender | Nominated | ||
2018 | Australian Production Design Guild Awards | Docklands Studios Melbourne Award for Excellence in Screen – Acknowledging Excellence in Design and Practice or Artisan Excellence on Australian or International Productions | Ian Gracie (Supervising Art Director) Damien Drew (Senior Art Director) Michelle McGahey (Senior Art Director) Charlie Revai (Art Director) Jacinta Leong (Art Director) |
Won | [145] |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Horror TV Spot | Born Neo, 20th Century Fox, Wild Card | Nominated | [146] | |
Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Film | Alien: Covenant | Nominated | [147] |
Future
[edit]Possible sequel
[edit]In September 2015, Ridley Scott said he was planning two sequels to Prometheus that would lead into the first Alien film, adding, "Maybe [there will] even [be] a fourth film before we get back into the Alien franchise".[148][149] Scott later confirmed in November that Alien: Covenant would be the first of three additional films in the Alien prequel series before linking up with the original Alien,[150][151] and stated that the Prometheus sequels would reveal who created the xenomorph aliens.[152] The screenplay for the third prequel film was written during production of Alien: Covenant and finished in 2017, with production originally scheduled to begin in 2018.[153] In March 2017, Scott said, "If you really want a franchise, I can keep cranking it for another six. I'm not going to close it down again. No way."[153]
Scott responded to a question about Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ellen Ripley in the prequels that, "Well, we're heading toward the back end of the first Alien so [using CGI] may be feasible. Ripley's going to be somebody's daughter, obviously. We're coming in from the back end. The time constraints of what's the time between this film, where we leave David going off heading for that colony, I think you're probably two films out from even considering her."[154] In the audio commentary for Alien: Covenant, Scott confirmed that a sequel to Alien: Covenant, tentatively referred to as "Alien: Covenant 2", is being written by John Logan, with Fassbender, Waterston, and McBride reprising their roles. Scott also confirmed that the film will complete his prequel series, leading directly into the events of Alien.[155][156]
In September 2017, the chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox, Stacey Snider, stated that, although Alien: Covenant was a financial disappointment, the studio still intended to proceed with Scott's sequel.[157] Just days later, screen-graphics designer Carl Braga announced that the project had been delayed.[158] In October, Scott stated that "Alien: Covenant 2" will focus more on the androids and A.I.s, as opposed to the xenomorphs. He said, "I think the evolution of the Alien himself is nearly over, but what I was trying to do was transcend and move to another story, which would be taken over by A.I.s. The world that the A.I. might create as a leader if he finds himself on a new planet. We have actually quite a big layout for the next one."[159] In November 2018, the film's plot details were reported to take place on LV-426 (the world visited by the Nostromo in the original Alien film), with the extraterrestrial Engineers being featured in the film and being in pursuit of David following his nefarious actions against Planet 4.[160]
At the 2019 CinemaCon, it was stated that, after its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney "will continue to create new stories" in the Alien series.[161] In May, Variety reported that another prequel was reportedly "in the script phase", with Ridley Scott attached to direct,[162] but it was still uncertain due to the disappointing box office returns of Alien: Covenant.[163] In September 2020, Scott confirmed that a new Alien film was in development but it was unclear if this would be a sequel to Alien: Covenant.[164] In August 2021, however, a news report concluded that a sequel was uncertain.[165][166]
Follow-up
[edit]By March 2022, Fede Álvarez was attached to write and direct a new film in the series; he pitched his own story to the studio that was said to be "unconnected" to previous films in the franchise.[167] 20th Century Studios announced in March 2023 that a new Alien film would begin production the same month.[168] The film, Alien: Romulus, is set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986),[169] and was released in theaters on August 16, 2024.[170]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Set before the events of Prometheus (2012)
- ^ Set before the events of Alien (1979)
- ^ While several initial sources refer to the creature as the "Xenomorph", Alien: The Roleplaying Game identifies it as a variant strain dubbed the "Praetomorph".
- ^ The novel's first edition and audiobook mistakenly refer to Jacob Branson as Jacob Brandon throughout.[101]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Film releases". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017.
- ^ "ALIEN: COVENANT (15)". British Board of Film Classification. May 2, 2017. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Alien Covenant (2017)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Alien: Covenant (2017)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ "2017 Feature Film Study" (PDF). FilmL.A. Feature Film Study: 23. August 8, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 12, 2015). "Ridley Scott On 'The Martian' And Why 'Star Wars' And '2001' Sent Him To Space With 'Alien:' Toronto Q&A". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ Collura, Scott (interviewer) Waterston, Katherine (interviewee) (December 24, 2016). Alien: Covenant's Space Mission Revealed (Television production). IGN.
- ^ Chris O'Falt (March 13, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': Ridley Scott and Katherine Waterston Discuss the Series' Newest Kickass Female Lead – Watch". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Foutch, Haleigh (March 1, 2017). "Alien: Covenant: Over 70 Things to Know about Ridley Scott's Hard R-Rated Return to Horror". Collider. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (February 22, 2016). "Danny McBride to Join Michael Fassbender in Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ a b Shaw-Williams, Hannah (March 3, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Character Guide – Meet the New Victims". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ McNary, Dave (February 25, 2016). "Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant' Casts 'Empire' Star Jussie Smollett". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Alter, Ethan (May 23, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Spoilers: The Cast on Those Shocking Twists and Deaths". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Carr, Jack (February 21, 2017). "First Look At James Franco & The 'Alien: Covenant' Crew Drops Big Hint". Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ Swain, Sarah (June 30, 2017). "Alien: Covenant star Tess Haubrich has finally joined Instagram but isn't a fan of oversharing". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Erbland, Kate (March 7, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Star Guy Pearce Says Film Goes Back to Origins of Ridley Scott's 'Alien' Films". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Anderton, Ethan (December 9, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant' Adds James Franco To The Cast". /Film. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- ^ Whitney, E. Oliver (August 31, 2017). "Noomi Rapace on 'Unlocked,' Playing Septuplets, and Why She Wasn't In 'Alien: Covenant'". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Dockerman, Eliana (May 19, 2017). "How Alien: Covenant Handles Noomi Rapace's Prometheus Character Elizabeth Shaw". TIME. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Sean (February 14, 2019). "Interview: Notting Hill actress Lorelei King discusses the film's 20th anniversary". Cineworld. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ GhostMan and Demon Hunter Show (May 23, 2017). "Goran the Xenomorph from Alien Covenant". Shadow Nation (Podcast). Spreaker Podcasts Inc. Event occurs at 20:10. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ Maddox, Gary (March 3, 2017). "Ridley Scott promises a return to Alien-style horror in Alien: Covenant". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (May 22, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': The Original Idea for the 'Prometheus' Sequel Was Very Different". Collider. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (March 17, 2012). "WonderCon 2012: Prometheus Panel Recap Featuring Sir Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof". Collider. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- ^ Kit, Borys (March 17, 2011). "WonderCon 2012: Ridley Scott Talks 'Prometheus' As Extended Trailer Debuts (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 11, 2012). "Prometheus Sequel Recap: What We Know About the Possible Follow-Up So Far". Collider. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ Scott, Ridley (June 1, 2012). "Sir Ridley Scott, 1 June 12". BBC Online. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
Yeah, it's not the same planet at all. No. If there was a sequel to this, which there might be if the film is successful, there'll be two more of these before you even get to Alien 1.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 1, 2012). "Summer's Studio Smackdown: From 'Men in Black 3' to 'Prometheus,' Which Franchises Will Get Another Chapter". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ Weintraub, Steve (December 19, 2012). "Exclusive: Damon Lindelof Is Not Writing the Prometheus Sequel; Explains Why". Collider. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ Falk, Ben (September 24, 2014). "Ridley Scott Updates Us On Prometheus 2 And Blade Runner Sequel". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ Cotter, Padraig (January 11, 2019). "The Alien Prequels Are Better Than The Predator". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c McKittrick, Christopher (May 19, 2017). ""We wanted to create a really frightening movie!" John Logan on Alien: Covenant". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Butler, Tom (May 10, 2017). "Ridley Scott admits he got Prometheus 'wrong', teases two Alien: Covenant sequels (exclusive)". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Han, Angie (September 24, 2015). "Ridley Scott Announces New 'Prometheus 2' Title". /Film. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ Perez, Rodrigo (November 13, 2015). "Ridley Scott Says 'Alien: Paradise Lost' Will Now Be Called 'Alien: Covenant'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (November 16, 2015). "'Prometheus' Sequel Gets Release Date and Synopsis, But Where's Noomi Rapace?". Collider. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ "Ridley Scott explains why David bombed the Engineers!". Alien: Covenant & Sequel Movie News. May 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (June 17, 2013). "Prometheus 2 Moving Forward At Fox". Variety. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (March 24, 2014). "Prometheus 2 Lands Green Lantern Writer Michael Green". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ White, James (August 20, 2015). "Inside The Martian: Empire Meets NASA". Empire. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ "Australia Secures Two Blockbuster Films". Minister for Foreign Affairs. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Wroe, David; Knott, Matthew (October 23, 2015). "New Alien and Thor movies to be filmed in Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ Mack, Ben (March 30, 2016). "Has Alien: Covenant landed in Fiordland". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "Prometheus 2 Begins Filming in January!". scified.com. August 2, 2015. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ Jaafar, Ali (December 17, 2015). "Katherine Waterston To Star In 'Alien: Covenant'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
- ^ "Dariusz Wolski on 'The Martian', 'Alien: Covenant', 'Dark City'". Collider. December 31, 2015. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Owen (February 2, 2016). "Alien: Covenant – Noomi Rapace will not return as Elizabeth Shaw". Empire. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 21, 2016). "Noomi Rapace Joins 'Alien: Covenant'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (June 21, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant': Noomi Rapace Reprising Role of Elizabeth Shaw". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (February 26, 2019). "Noomi Rapace's Original Role in 'Alien: Covenant' Revealed". Collider. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (February 22, 2016). "Demian Bichir Joins Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (February 25, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant' Crews Up: 'Empire's Jussie Smollett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo & More Join Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022.
- ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (February 25, 2016). "Billy Crudup Joining 'Alien: Covenant' & 'Jackie' Biopic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Mike (February 26, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant' Adds Aussie Actor Alex England". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ "Ben Rigby Joins 'Alien: Covenant'". Variety. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 9, 2016). "James Franco Has Surprise Role In 'Alien: Covenant". The Playlist. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ Schwerdtfeger, Conner (May 2, 2017). "Mythbusters' Adam Savage Toured The Set Of Alien: Covenant, And It's Wonderful". CinemaBlend. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ a b Shanley, Patrick (May 18, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': How the Xenomorph Continues to Horrify Audiences Decades Later". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Frei, Vincent (June 2, 2017). "ALIEN – COVENANT: Charley Henley – Production VFX Supervisor – MPC". The Art of VFX. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "On the Set for 4/8/16: Ridley Scott & Michael Fassbender Start 'Alien: Covenant', Benedict Cumberbatch Wraps 'Doctor Strange'". SSN Insider. April 8, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ VKanty, Edward (April 4, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant' Images And Spoilers Reveal Ridley Scott's Connection To 'Prometheus'". The Inquisitr News. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Ridley Scott and Alien: Covenant land in Milford?". Stuff. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Sophia (April 8, 2016). "Alien: Covenant or Prometheus 2 Plot Spoilers: Movie Now Filming; Set 10 Years After Prometheus?". crossmap.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ Hall, Jacob (July 20, 2016). "'Alien: Covenant' Wraps and Shares One More Set Photo". /Film. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant Leavesden Studios listing". WBSL.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Romano, Sal (November 2016). "Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant' begins reshoots at Leavesden Studios". Watford Hertfordshire & London Review. London-news.watfordlondon.uk. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant (2017)". Sight and Sound. May 18, 2017. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant (2017)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (May 7, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "Odd Studio makeup team on Mad Max Oscar win and Alien: Covenant effects". IF Magazine. March 29, 2016. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c Windsor, Harry (February 5, 2017). "CreatureNFX's Paul Trefry talks working with Ridley Scott on 'Alien: Covenant'". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ Ong, Thuy (June 15, 2016). "Hollywood eyes Australia as Ridley Scott's space epic Alien: Covenant films in Sydney". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Weiner, Jonah (July 6, 2016). "Danny McBride on 'Vice Principals,' Trump and Being Chased by Aliens". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Hullfish, Steve (June 26, 2017). "ART OF THE CUT on Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, with two time Oscar-winning editor, Pietro Scalia, ACE". ProVideo Coalition. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Weintraub, Steve (May 26, 2017). "Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender on How They Pulled Off That David/Walter Scene in 'Alien: Covenant'". Collider. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (May 30, 2017). "Ridley Scott says the original cut of Alien: Covenant was 20 minutes longer". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Owen (March 15, 2016). "Alien: Covenant – Benjamin Rigby joins the cast". Empire. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- ^ "Jed Kurzel to Score Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant'". December 25, 2016.
- ^ Jed Kurzel's Full Score For Ridley Scott's Sci-fi Horror Film "Alien: Covenant". Archived from the original (video) on March 23, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant – She Won't Go Quietly". May 5, 2017. Archived from the original (video) on October 30, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Fletcher, Rosie; Armitage, Hugo (May 8, 2017). "Alien: Covenant release date, cast, spoilers and everything you need to know about Prometheus 2". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ "Melanie De Biasio lends her voice in Alien – Covenant". Wallonia. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Brody, Richard (May 24, 2017). ""Alien: Covenant" Bursts with Pomposity". The New Yorker. Advance Publications. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant – Song Credits". Soundtrack.Net. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (February 22, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': 5-Minute Prologue Reveals the Last Supper of the Covenant Crew". Collider. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (April 26, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Prologue Reveals the Fate of Shaw and David Post-'Prometheus'". Collider. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Twentieth Century Fox and AMD Partner on "Alien: Covenant" and Launch "Meet Walter" Campaign". Business Wire. March 10, 2017. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Billington, Alex. "Run, Pray, Hide: Three New TV Spots for Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant'". FirstShowing.net. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ^ "Past, present and future releases to Past, Present and Future Releases | UK Recent and Upcoming Movie". launchingfilms.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant (2017) | Fandango". Fandango. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ Perry, Spencer (November 16, 2015). "Alien: Covenant Gets a Title Treatment, Release Date and Synopsis!". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant, Predator Release Dates Announced by Fox". Collider. February 28, 2016. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022.
- ^ Liu, Charles (June 8, 2017). "China Censored Version of 'Alien: Covenant' Has Next to No Alien in It". The Beijinger. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ Brzeski, Partick (June 18, 2017). "Chinese Censors Cut Michael Fassbender's Gay Kiss From 'Alien: Covenant'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ McCreesh, Louise (June 19, 2017). "Michael Fassbender's gay kiss in Alien: Covenant was cut by censors in China alongside five further minutes of content". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 21, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Adds $30M In 2nd Frame; 'Dangal' Pins $100M+ In China; 'Guardians 2' At $733M WW – International Box Office". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Perry, Spencer (July 6, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Release Set for August". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017.
- ^ Alan Dean Foster (2017). Alien: Covenant. 304 pages; Publisher: Titan Books (May 23, 2017); Language: English; ISBN 1785654780.
- ^ Ward, Simon (2017). The Art and Making of Alien: Covenant. 192 pages; Publisher: Titan Books (May 23, 2017); Language: English; ISBN 1785653814.
- ^ Alien: Covenant 2. 304 pages; Publisher: Titan Books (September 26, 2017); Language: English; ISBN 1785654764.
- ^ Cotter, Padraig (November 17, 2017). "What the Alien: Covenant Prequel Novel Reveals About the Film". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Squires, John (June 8, 2017). "Here's the Plot for Prequel Novel 'Alien: Covenant – Origins'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022.
- ^ Shieber, Jonathan (April 25, 2017). "Be the alien you want to see in the theatres with the new Alien: Covenant VR experience". techcrunch.com. TechCrunch. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "A VR Experience is Born". technicolor.com. May 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 4, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant In Utero' VR Experience Invades Regal Cinemas & Provides Terrifying Run-In With Baby Chomper". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Brueggemann, Tom (June 6, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Box-Office Blunder Could Put The Series in Jeopardy | IndieWire". IndieWire. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Kelley, Seth (May 21, 2017). "Sorry, Ridley Scott: The 'Alien' Franchise Is No 'Star Wars'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "Prometheus". Box Office Mojo. June 2, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ Chang, Justin (May 17, 2017). "Ridley Scott's 'Alien: Covenant' is a sleek, suspenseful return to form". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ ""Alien: Covenant" Film Review: Ridley Scott Returns to Form With Chest-Bursting Thrills". The Tracking Board. May 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ a b Nancy Tartaglione (May 14, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Chomps $42M Bow; 'Guardians 2' Crosses $630M WW; 'Dangal' Soars In China – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
- ^ "'Mummy' Leads Overseas; 'Wonder Woman' Cuffs $572M WW; 'Cars', 'Despicable Me' 3s Hit International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (June 18, 2017). "China Box Office: 'Alien: Covenant' Scares Up $30M Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Faughnder, Ryan (May 16, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant,' No. 8 in the franchise, is poised to unseat 'Guardians' at the box office". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 17, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Looks To Kick 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2' Out Of Orbit – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Box Office: 'Alien: Covenant' Tops Friday With $15M, 'Diary Of A Wimpy Kid' Bombs". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Box Office History for Alien Movies". The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; Busch, Anita (May 23, 2017). "Why 'Alien: Covenant' Lost Its Bite At The B.O. With $36.1M Opening, −34% From 'Prometheus'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (May 22, 2017). "Box Office: Five Reasons 'Alien: Covenant' Failed To Measure Up To 'Prometheus'". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Busch, Anita. "How 'Pirates' & 'Baywatch' Are Casualties Of Summer Franchise Fatigue At The Domestic B.O." Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
- ^ Franklin, Garth (May 28, 2017). ""Covenant" Plummets At Box-Office – Dark Horizons". www.darkhorizons.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
- ^ Lambie, Ryan (June 9, 2017). "Alien: Covenant – Where Its Box Office Leaves the Series". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (June 4, 2017). "Box Office: 'Pirates 5' Sails Past $500M Worldwide, 'Baywatch' And 'Alien' Crumble". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Shepherd, Jack (May 7, 2017). "Here's what the critics are saying about Alien: Covenant". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Nordine, Michael (May 7, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Critical Roundup: Michael Fassbender Is Singled Out for Praise in Early Reviews of Ridley Scott's Latest". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Serrao, Nivea (May 7, 2017). "Here's What the Critics Are Saying About 'Alien: Covenant'". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Rahman, Abid (May 8, 2017). "Alien Covenant Review Round-Up". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Makuch, Eddie (May 18, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Review Roundup". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- Anderton, Ethan (May 8, 2017). "Alien Covenant Reviews Round-up". /Film. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Alien: Covenant reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (May 6, 2017). "Alien: Covenant review – Ridley Scott's latest space exploration feels all too familiar". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ McNab, Geoffrey (May 17, 2017). "Film reviews round-up: Alien: Covenant, Frantz, Jawbone, The Levelling". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (May 17, 2017). "Review: 'Alien: Covenant' Summons Terror and Stays on Brand". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
- ^ Thurman, Trace (May 15, 2017). "[Review] 'Alien: Covenant' Disappoints, Despite a Stellar Production". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ Foutch, Haleigh (May 6, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant' Review: An Exquisite, Infuriating Epic from a Sci-Fi Master". Collider. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (May 7, 2017). "Alien: Covenant review: It's everything you could ever want from an Alien movie". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Brennan, Sinead (May 13, 2017). "Alien: Covenant movie review". RTÉ. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Soans, Neil (May 11, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (May 15, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Movie Review & Film Summary (2017)". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ McManus, Paul; Philp, Rob; Bradshaw, Nick; Stevens, Isabel (December 14, 2017). "The best films of 2017 – all the votes". Sight & Sound. BFI. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ Edelstein, David (May 16, 2017). "Review: Alien: Covenant Is an Origin Story We Might Not Have Wanted". Vulture. New York Media LLC. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ Lincoln, Kevin (May 23, 2017). "What Other Blockbuster Villains Can Learn From David in Alien: Covenant". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021.
- ^ Alissa Wilkinson. Wilkinson, Alissa (May 17, 2017). "Alien: Covenant is too muddled to pull off its deeply ambitious Satan allegories". Vox. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Greene, Steve (December 19, 2016). "2016 IndieWire Critics Poll: Full List of Results". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Golden Schmoes Winners and Nominees (2017)". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 12, 2017). "Golden Trailer Awards Nominees: Warner Bros & 'Lego Batman' Lead Pack". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Wurst, Barry (January 6, 2018). "Hawaii Film Critics Society 2017 Nominees List". Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "2017 Winners". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "2018 APDG Awards Winners". Australian Production Design Guild. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 9, 2018). "Golden Trailer Award Nominations: 'The Shape Of Water', 'Hitman's Bodyguard' Top List". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "Ridley Scott planning 3 Prometheus sequels before link to Alien is made! (by Chris Picard)". scified.com. September 23, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ Child, Ben (September 23, 2015). "Ridley Scott plans three more Prometheus films before linking to Alien". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ Osborn, Alex (November 14, 2015). "Prometheus Sequel Alien: Paradise Lost May Now Be Titled Alien: Covenant". IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Bulbeck, Pip (November 26, 2015). "Ridley Scott: 'Alien: Covenant' Is First of 3 Films Before Linking Up With Original 'Alien'". The Hollywood Reporter. Eldridge Industries, LLC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Tilly, Chris; Singer, Leigh (November 11, 2015). "Ridley Scott Says Prometheus Sequels Will Reveal Who Created Aliens". IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Maddox, Garry (March 3, 2017). "Ridley Scott promises a return to Alien-style horror in Alien: Covenant". The Sunday Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ Reyes, Michael (August 1, 2017). "How The Next Alien Movies Could Incorporate Ripley, According To Ridley Scott". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ Alien: Covenant – Audio Commentary
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (September 1, 2017). "'Alien: Covenant': 38 Things We Learned from Ridley Scott's Audio Commentary". Collider. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ Lang, Brent (September 20, 2017). "Fox's Stacey Snider Gets Candid About Netflix, Diversity and the Future of Wolverine". Variety. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ Zinski, Dan (December 26, 2017). "Alien: Covenant Sequel Reportedly Canceled By Fox". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (October 8, 2017). "Ridley Scott Wants the Next 'Alien' Movie to Focus on Artificial Intelligence Instead of the Xenomorph". Indiewire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Empire Classics Presents Alien: The Complete History". Empire. United Kingdom: Bauer Consumer Media. February 9, 2019.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn; McClintock, Pamela (April 3, 2019). "New 'Avengers: Endgame' Footage Hits CinemaCon". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Schaefer, Sandy (May 27, 2019). "Alien: Covenant Sequel Reportedly Being Written, Ridley Scott to Direct". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (May 28, 2019). "Ridley Scott Still Planning Third 'Alien' Prequel — Can Franchise Survive 'Covenant' Box Office Bomb?". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Thompson, Simon (February 9, 2020). "Ridley Scott Talks 'Raised By Wolves' And The Future Of The 'Alien' Franchise". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (August 31, 2021). "Will There Be A Sequel To Alien: Covenant? Here's What We Know". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Nero, Dom (September 1, 2021). "It's Time to Redeem 'Prometheus'". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Kit, Borys (March 4, 2022). "New Alien Movie in the Works With Don't Breathe Filmmaker Fede Álvarez (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ^ Flam, Charna (March 3, 2023). "New 'Alien' Movie Starts Filming in March, Reveals Cryptic Synopsis and Full Cast". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Kim Murphy, Jackson (November 27, 2023). "'Alien: Romulus' Star Cailee Spaeny Confirms New Entry Is Set Between the First Two Films". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (June 13, 2023). "Disney Dates New Star Wars Movie, Shifts Deadpool 3 and Entire Marvel Slate, Delays Avatar Sequels Through 2031". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
External links
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- 2017 films
- 2010s action horror films
- 2017 horror films
- 2010s adventure films
- 2010s science fiction horror films
- 2017 science fiction action films
- 2010s monster movies
- 20th Century Fox films
- Alien (franchise) films
- American action horror films
- American science fiction action films
- American science fiction adventure films
- American science fiction horror films
- American prequel films
- American sequel films
- American space adventure films
- Films about androids
- Brandywine Productions films
- British action horror films
- British science fiction adventure films
- British science fiction action films
- British science fiction horror films
- British space adventure films
- 2010s English-language films
- Films about ancient astronauts
- Films about artificial intelligence
- Films about extraterrestrial life
- Films directed by Ridley Scott
- Films produced by Walter Hill
- Films produced by Ridley Scott
- Films produced by David Giler
- Films scored by Jed Kurzel
- Films set on fictional planets
- Films set in 2094
- Films set in the 2100s
- Films set on spacecraft
- Films shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden
- Films shot in New Zealand
- Films shot in Sydney
- Films with screenplays by John Logan (writer)
- Films with screenplays by Michael Green (writer)
- IMAX films
- Interquel films
- Fiction about interstellar travel
- Mythology in popular culture
- Scott Free Productions films
- TSG Entertainment films
- 2010s American films
- 2010s British films