A few months ago we reported screenwriter Damon Lindelof might not have the time to pen the Prometheus sequel for director Ridley Scott. I can now confirm the news. When I spoke to Lindelof last week at a Bad Robot event for the Star Trek sequel (more on that soon), he told me he wasn’t doing it. He explained that after Prometheus got released, (Scott and Lindelof) had a meeting “where we started talking again about where this journey would go.” Before Scott could ask him to write the script, he said he couldn’t do it due to other commitments.
For more on why Lindelof said no, hit the jump.
Unlike some screenwriters that can balance multiple projects, Lindelof told me he can only be working on one thing at a time. Here’s part of what he said:
“The thing about Prometheus was it was a rewrite. Jon Spaihts wrote a script and I rewrote it. And still it was a year of my life that I spent on Prometheus, kind of all in. The idea of building a sequel to it—from the ground up this time—with Ridley is tremendously exciting. But at the same time, I was like, “Well that’s probably going to be two years of my life.” I can’t do what J.J. [Abrams] does. I don’t have the capability. I’m usually very single-minded creatively. I can only be working on one thing at a time. So I said to him, “I really don’t think I could start working on this movie until I do this other stuff. And I don’t know when the other stuff is going to be done.” And he was like, “Well, okay, it’s not like I asked you anyways.” He and I are on excellent terms and it was a dream come true to work with him. But much to the delight of all the fanboys, I don’t see myself being involved in Prometheus-er.”
As someone that really enjoyed Prometheus, I’m disappointed Lindelof won’t be involved, but I’m glad Scott enjoyed the experience enough to want to continue the story. While 20th Century Fox has yet to confirm a release date, I’ve heard the sequel is a priority for the studio and I’m sure we’ll find out soon who is working on the script.
Here’s everything Lindelof told me about the Prometheus sequel and all our previous coverage including what we already know about the film. Look for a lot more with Lindelof very soon.
Collider: I know from people at Fox that they were really happy with the worldwide box office of Prometheus and that they are moving forward on a sequel. Are you involved at all?
Damon Lindelof: I am not. Ridley [Scott] and I talked at great length during the story process of the first movie about what subsequent movies would be if Prometheus were to be successful. And I think that the movie ended in a very specific way that hinted at, or strongly implied that there were going to be continuing adventures worthy of writing stories. What those stories would be would not necessarily usurp or transcend the Alien franchise as we saw it because we know that the Nostromo hasn’t come along yet. So the idea was to set up a universe that… Is it a prequel? Okay. If that’s what we want to call it, sure. But the sequel to this movie is not Alien. The sequel to this movie is this other thing.
So Ridley and I talked about what that other thing might be, and he was excited about doing it. But then I think what ended up happening was that the movie came out, and there was a reaction to the movie. And I got really wrapped up in Trek, and really wrapped up in this movie that I’m producing and writing with Brad Bird. And I have a TV project that I was really passionate about. Ridley and I had a meeting after Prometheus came out where we started talking again about where this journey would go. And in that meeting I said to him, unfortunately, before he could ask me and go through the discomfort of whether he was going to ask me or not… It’s sort of like having a date where you’re letting the other person know, “I’m in another relationship.” So I can’t tell you that he asked me and I said no. But I did communicate to him that I was working on these other things.
The thing about Prometheus was it was a rewrite. Jon Spaihts wrote a script and I rewrote it. And still it was a year of my life that I spent on Prometheus, kind of all in. The idea of building a sequel to it—from the ground up this time—with Ridley is tremendously exciting. But at the same time, I was like, “Well that’s probably going to be two years of my life.” I can’t do what J.J. [Abrams] does. I don’t have the capability. I’m usually very single-minded creatively. I can only be working on one thing at a time. So I said to him, “I really don’t think I could start working on this movie until I do this other stuff. And I don’t know when the other stuff is going to be done.” And he was like, “Well, okay, it’s not like I asked you anyways.” He and I are on excellent terms and it was a dream come true to work with him. But much to the delight of all the fanboys, I don’t see myself being involved in Prometheus-er.
For more on the Prometheus sequel, click here. Leave your comments on what you’d like to see happen in the sequel below.
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At times I feel like I’m the only person who enjoyed Prometheus. Yes, it had it’s problems, but I still enjoyed it.
It’s funny, the plot holes in Prometheus really didn’t bother me that much and I enjoyed the movie. However the plot holes and leaps of logic killed The Dark Knight Rises for me…
it was bound to happen
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he just gave me an early Christmas present.
I remember reading the news that there would be an Alien prequel and that Ridley Scott himself was attached to direct. I was so excited!
Then I read the news that Damon Lindelof had become attached to rewrite the script. Uh-oh.
Shortly after that I saw the news that the Alien prequel would no longer be an Alien prequel, but would be set in the same “universe” as Alien. And then I knew it was going to suck.
And guess what? It did.
Man alive, gain a little perspective. You’d think Lindelof was complicit in genocide. The man wrote a mediocre sci-if movie, one no worse than the four other terrible movies in the franchise. That’s it. He does not deserve your baseless derision. Like a movie or hate it, but being a little spazoid about feeling disappointed for two hours is just insane. Grow up, keep your opinions to yourself, and go do something productive. Your hate is pathetic and unflattering and it will never make you a better person.
Most of the issues with the script were in the original Jon Spaihts script. The fundamentals of the script were and story were NOT Damon’s fault. He was reworking a script that Scott was already fairly happy with, but wanted more work done. That is Scott’s fault for liking a fractured story. Sure Spaihts used more flowery language in his draft, but it is known that such writing isn’t what makes a great screenplay.
Despite Prometheus’ issues which were GLARING to me right in the theater, I still left that same theater REALLY wanting a sequel. It was odd.
Why don\’t you read it for yourself then instead of buying into the typical grass is always greener laments that are bandied around. It wasn’t the masterpiece people have been saying at all. I see a few comments here about how they wanted the ‘true Alien prequel’, what this means to me is that they wanted the planet to be the same as the one in Alien the derelict ship to be the one in Alien and it to end with an “ultramorph” (yes, that’s what Spaights called it) coming out of the space jockeys chest. Where can you go after that? I find the idea actually rather boring and prosaic, never mind that it ruins the idea that the derelict in Alien is thousands of year old and turns into something that only crashed 30 years prior to the events in Alien. I’d be surprised if Scott ever actually explicitly shows the events behind the derelict in Alien.
Prometheus wasn’t the masterpice everyone was demanding like spoiled children, but I find some of the internet hate trending nitpicks on the film so over the top I find it hard to take it seriously other than numb faddism. I think the future will be kinder to the film in the end.
“end with an “ultramorph” (yes, that’s what Spaights called it) coming out of the space jockeys chest. Where can you go after that?”
Um, Spaihts had already talked to Scott about another two movies. Where do you go? Well, you follow Shaw and David of course. idiot
In Alien, the “Space Jockey” was clearly a fossilized skeleton (appeared to be an exoskeleton). In Prometheus, this gets converted into a suit. This bothered me. Humanoids who look like they stepped off the cover of Atlas Shrugged only to don elephant suits? Silly.
Also, all the convenient holograms the Space Jockeys left lying around. That was a bit convenient and silly.
Actually, there was a lot about this movie that was silly.
Can somebody list these apparent plot holes in Prometheus? I didn’t notice any. Perhaps I was paying too much attention.