Is March 2016’s ‘Untitled Ridley Scott Film’ PROMETHEUS 2?

Last week Fox announced a number of release dates for films that they haven’t started production on yet, and amidst them was an untitled film from director Ridley Scott. The inclination was to assume that the film would Prometheus 2, the sequel to his 2012 prequel to the Alien franchise which he launched in 1979.

Late yesterday, that assumption seemed to be confirmed in a story form The Wrap in which it was reported that Michael Green had been brought aboard to do a rewrite of the Prometheus 2 screenplay that Transcendence scripter Jack Paglen had already turned in. Paglen had previously worked with Scott on the screenplay to a new Blade Runner film that is still in development. The Wrap also reported that Prometheus 2 was scheduled for that staked out March 4, 2016 spot, though it was unclear yet as to whether Scott was going to direct or just produce the sequel.

But when Variety reported on Paglen’s hiring, they noted that Fox has not yet scheduled the sequel.

So who’s right as to when the film may or may not be hitting screens?

In this case, I am going to go with The Wrap’s reporting, as they are claiming that they have several sources for their reportage. The Wrap’s story also states that even though Scott has a number of projects in development, including the new Blade Runner film that he and production company Alcon are eager to get, Fox is in what is called “first Position” with Scott so contractually, he would have to do the Prometheus sequel first. Shooting is expected to get underway this fall, after the director wraps up work on his Biblical epic Exodus.

Details as to what Prometheus 2‘s storyline will center on are being kept secret, but it will undoubtedly pick up from the end of the first film and see Noomi Repace’s character Elizabeth Shaw further her quest to find the alien race known as the Engineers who created life on Earth. Additionally, a source has told The Wrap that Scott will be working to make the film –

…much more “alien-y” and in line with the terrifying tone of past films in the franchise. Additionally, the sequel is expected to feature multiple ‘David’ androids, which means there will be more than one Michael Fassbender on screen at the same time.

I know that there is some concern in fandom that Paglen was also a writer on the not-so-good Green Lantern superhero film from a few years back. And since some genre fans already feel a bit stung by the first Prometheus‘s screenplay not being up to the quality that they expected from Scott. Well, that second complaint may or may not be valid, that is all a question of taste. But I don’t think we can lay at Paglen’s feet all the flaws in the Green Lantern film. There were a lot of hands on that script, some credited, some not credited, and that was before Campbell’s rather uninspired direction. Paglen also wrote the upcoming science-fiction thriller Transcendence and the trailer I saw over the weekend hints that there will be some interesting ideas in the movie. It remains to be seen whether they’ll be fully explored or not, but given their prominence in the trailer, I think they will be. I think that film will be a far better indicator of his suitability for the job here.