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An excited Comic-Con audience was treated to an exclusive first look at Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien universe, Prometheus.
The footage – a short, snappy montage of suspenseful, atmospheric shots – was brief but featured plenty to chew over: a blond Michael Fassbender exploring mysterious biological artefacts; Charlize Theron doing naked push-ups and aiming a flamethrower at someone (or some thing ?); a cavernous room stuffed with distinctly xenomorph-like eggs.
The most remarkable aspect of the footage was how comfortably it appeared to slot into the Alien continuity – from the stunning production design (sleep chambers, Nostromo-styled spaceship corridors) to the closing title card – the word 'Prometheus' gradually yet strikingly revealed in a familiar angular font…
Scott – on location in Iceland with star Noomi Rapace – appeared via video link to Comic-Con’s Hall H, telling everyone that he was aiming to “scare the living shit” out of people with the movie.
We also found out that the plot revolves around the discovery of a civilisation that boasts “very uncivilised behaviour” and that “it shares one piece of DNA with Alien ”.
Before the footage, Total Film caught up with star Theron and writer Damon Lindelof ( Lost ), who clarified the Alien connection.
“Ridley wanted to push the movie into original territory” he explained of the script, which was designed as a direct prequel before some last-minute retweaking. “One of the pitfalls of the prequel if you don’t handle it right is that the audience knows what’s coming. So we spent a couple of months together rewriting the script until he was satisfied it felt like its own movie.”
Theron, whos playing a “suit” with “incredible strength and real balls”, said she found Scott’s seminal 1979 sci-fi inspiring when it came to paving the way for modern action heroines.
“Ripley [Sigourney Weaver] is the classic, right?” she noted. “I think Ridley really was the first person who took advantage of how you could explore not only that genre but also themes that I think mostly men in cinema have been allowed to explore. He just likes those kinds of women.”
Like many of today’s blockbusters, Prometheus is also being shot and released in 3D. But, as Lindelof is quick to point out, it’s not just a gimmick for Scott and Co…
“It creates a very immersive environment,” he explains. “Sometimes they’re in very confined spaces, sometimes in incredibly wide-open spaces, but the 3D helps bring you in. One of the most visionary and visual directors in the world is finally using this medium and I think it’s gonna be pretty special.”
Prometheus opens on 1 June 2012.
