Neill Blomkamp, the visionary director behind the critically acclaimed District 9, has faced both massive success and challenges in his career. Known for his distinctive style of science fiction, Blomkamp was ambitious to take on the Alien franchise after announcing plans for a direct sequel to the 1986 movie Alien. However, the production was abruptly halted in 2015.
The decision came shortly after the mixed reception of his Hugh Jackman-led science fiction film. In a 2021 interview, the director opened up about the emotional fallout from the film’s failure and how it may have influenced the cancellation of his Alien project.
Neill Blomkamp revealed his 2015 science fiction film might be the reason Ridley Scott’s Alien sequel was canceled
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp was originally chosen to continue the Alien saga. The concept was met with excitement, with Sigourney Weaver expressing interest in reprising her role as Ripley. However, the release of Chappie— a robot-centric sci-fi movie set in Johannesburg- resulted in mixed reviews, that might have caused a significant blow in his future Alien project.
In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Blomkamp discussed the upsetting toll of Chappie‘s failure. He went on to suggest that the lukewarm reception of Chappie could have convinced Ridley Scott to cancel his Alien Sequel. Noting that the project was officially shelved shortly after Chappie‘s release, he said,
It’s possible that Ridley watched Chappie and was like, ‘This guy can’t do Alien.’
The director admitted that the negative feedback made him question his place. “If you’re gonna try to take risks, you better be OK with getting knocked down”, he reflected. “So it doesn’t change my opinion of the film and it doesn’t make me think any differently of the audience.”
The director also expressed regret over the missed opportunity, particularly for Weaver who was enthusiastic about the project. He also noted the irony that Fox, a studio typically driven by box office potential, turned down a project that seemed to have widespread fan interest.
Neill Blomkamp didn’t speak to Ridley Scott and he’s not interested in the future Alien project
Ridley Scott, meanwhile, had focused on his own Alien universe, having released Alien: Covenant in 2017. In an interview with French publication Allocine, Scott talked about the future of Blomkamp’s Alien film. He stated, “I don’t think it will ever see the light of day. There was never a script. Just an idea that evolved from a dozen or so pages.” He emphasized that Fox didn’t want to continue and had ultimately decided to pursue Alien: Covenant.
Reflecting on the experience, if he ever talked to Scott after that, Blomkamp said, “There’s no coming back from that.” He continued, “I’m not gonna work on a film for two years and have the rug pulled out from underneath me and then go hang out and have beers. It’s exactly why I don’t want to do IP based on other people’s stuff ever again.”
He admitted that after Halo and Alien, he is now wary of working on other people’s intellectual properties. “It would be unwise to do that again,” he said, though he didn’t entirely close the door on future opportunities in the right context.
Despite the hurdles, Blomkamp’s creative ambition remains intact, as he continues to reflect on the lessons learned from both his successes and his setbacks.
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