Moviefone Editorial

Tag: ridley-scott

  • ‘Gods of Egypt’ Filmmakers ‘Sincerely Apologize’ for Cast’s Lack of Diversity

    Unlike Ridley Scott with “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” director Alex Proyas has chosen to issue an apology for casting a bunch of white people from Europe and Australia as Egyptians in “Gods of Egypt.” Interestingly enough, studio Lionsgate also offered an apology and a promise to do “better.” It’s too late to do “better” for this particular film, which comes out February 26, 2016, but cynics could see this as an attempt to avoid the fate of Scott’s “Gods and Kings.”

    “Gods of Egypt” is a fantasy film inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, starring Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Geoffrey Rush, and Brenton Thwaites. Here’s how director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate responded to the calls of whitewashing (via Forbes):

    Alex Proyas:

    “The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made.”

    Lionsgate:

    “We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.​”


    Ridley Scott faced similar whitewashing calls when he cast Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton as Moses and Ramses in “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” He took a different approach, though, arguing that he could never get funding for his $140 million epic without a major name in the lead role and there just aren’t enough A-listers from the actual place where the story is set. “I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such,” Scott told Variety. “I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up.”

    Variety noted that “The Passion of the Christ,” “Noah,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “virtually any other big-budget Bible movies” also cast white Europeans, Americans, and Australians. But that sounds like less of a valid reason for casting white stars than a valid reason for casting more non-white people in roles that can give them a chance to build A-list level profiles, so the financiers who only care about money become more willing to back big-budget films led by people other colors than spray-tanned white.

    Fans had mixed responses to the “Gods of Egypt” apologies, but here’s “Selma” director Ava DuVernay to leave things on a mostly positive note:


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  • ‘Prometheus’ Sequel Gets Another New Title, Release Date

    alien, alien: covenant, covenant, alien covenant, prometheus, prometheus 2, prometheus sequelMore than five years after the flick first hit theaters, the “Prometheus” sequel is officially a go, and has a new name (yes, another one), a release date, a logo (seen above), and an official synopsis.

    Fox revealed the big news this week, announcing that the flick would now be called “Alien: Covenant,” and would have a direct link to director Ridley Scott‘s 1979 “Alien” film. While that second part is nothing new — Scott said as much earlier this year — the new name is a bit odd, since Scott had also previously said that the film would be called “Alien: Paradise Lost,” in an homage to the poem by John Milton.

    Whatever the cause for the change, it’s good news for fans either way. Here’s the synopsis that Fox unveiled:

    Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in Alien with Alien: Covenant, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus — and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

    “Alien: Covenant” is due in theaters on October 6, 2017.

    [via: ComicBook.com]

    Photo credit: Fox

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  • 15 Memorable Ridley Scott Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

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    Ridley Scott‘s “The Martian” marks his fourth sci-fi film, just one of the many genres that the veteran filmmaker has tackled over his crazy-impressive career.

    From Tangerine Dream-scored fairy tales, to gritty military procedurals, to biblical epics, there isn’t anything Scott can’t do (save for to get people to see “The Counselor” — zing!)

    With “The Martian” earning the director some of his best notices in over a decade, let’s rank and file 15 of Ridley Scott’s more memorable films — ranked from worst to best.

  • Ridley Scott Reveals ‘Prometheus 2’ Title: ‘Alien: Paradise Lost’

    Ridley Scott has been dropping lots of details about his follow-up to “Alien” prequel “Prometheus” in recent months, and now, the director has shared the flick’s new name.

    In an interview with Hey U Guys, Scott said that rather than go with the traditional “Prometheus 2,” the flick’s title would instead draw inspiration from a famous epic poem, and be called “Alien: Paradise Lost.” In addition to providing more of a direct link to the “Alien” franchise — which Scott has said in the past that the “Prometheus” flicks will eventually do — that title also gives filmgoers a bit of a taste of Scott’s inspiration for the film’s plot.

    In case you’re a bit rusty on high school English, here’s Hey U Guys explaining John Milton’s poem:

    Building on the literary heritage of the previous film the allusion to John Milton is certain to have implications for the film’s plot. Dealing with the Fall of Man, Milton’s epic poem deals with the fall of Satan and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden – the loss of innocence and a terrifying, irreversible act is surely going to be a factor in the journey towards the events of Alien.

    Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
    Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
    Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
    With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
    Restore us…
    — The opening of John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

    Later, Hey U Guys caught up with Scott again to have the director explain more about the choice for the flick’s title.

    “Because we’re heading back to why and how and when the beast was invented,” Scott told the site of his thought process with the name. “We’ll go back in to the back door of the very first Alien [movie] I did 30 years ago.”

    Sounds pretty cool to us. No word yet on when “Alien: Paradise Lost” is set to hit theaters, though we expect we’ll hear more from Scott himself soon. Stay tuned.

    [via: Hey U Guys]

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  • The 17 Best R-Rated Sci-Fi Movies Ever, Ranked

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    Hollywood can’t stop, won’t stop making science fiction movies.

    From “Star Trek” to “Star Wars,” studios will boldly go to that galaxy far, far away as long as audiences are willing to pay for it. And while PG-13 genre fare tends to sell more tickets, movie fans also turn out for titles rated “R.” (See the “Alien” and “Terminator” franchises.)

    As Ryan Reynolds gets his body swap on in the new R-rated “Self/Less,” here are 17 must-see films for the must-be-17-or-older crowd.

  • Matt Damon Is Stranded on Mars in Intense First Trailer for ‘The Martian’

    Never mind little green men, there’s only one man we need to worry about in “The Martian“: Matt Damon‘s astronaut Mark Watney. During a manned mission to Mars, he’s left behind and presumed dead. But he’s not dead. He’s just stuck there. So he’s forced to use Bourne-level smarts to survive and signal home that he’s still alive.

    20th Century Fox just released the first 3-minute, 17-second trailer for “The Martian” and — prepare to cringe at this, but dammit it’s still true — it’s out of this world. Just watch:

    “The Martian” is directed by Ridley Scott, so it’s already off to a great start, and it’s based on the novel by Andy Weir. Matt Damon is the headliner, but he’s joined by A-listers Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Donald Glover, and … Kristen Wiig? Yeah, she’s branching away from just comedies, and this is certainly going to be a big showcase.

    Fans — and we’re holding our hands up on this — can’t get enough space movies, from “Alien,” “2001” and “Star Wars” to “Apollo 13,” “Gravity” and “Interstellar.” Heck, even “Spaceballs.” With the impressive credentials involved, we’re thinking this is destined for something closer to Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine” than Michael Bay’s “Armageddon,” but we’ll see.

    “The Martian” is scheduled for release on November 25.

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  • Ryan Gosling in Talks to Star in ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel

    "Lost River" - 2015 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival
    The upcoming “Blade Runner” sequel just got a major dose of heartthrob: Ryan Gosling is in negotiations to star in the long-awaited flick.

    Gosling would play the lead alongside original star Harrison Ford, who’s reprising his role as Rick Deckard. Denis Villeneuve (“Prisoners“) is directing the flick, and original director Ridley Scott is executive producing.

    “Blade Runner 2” — which doesn’t have an official title or synopsis yet — is set to take place “several decades” following the conclusion of the 1982 original flick. Details about Gosling’s character are also being kept under wraps.

    The flick is being co-written by original screenwriter Hampton Fancher alongside Michael Green, from an idea by Scott and Fancher. Production is expected to begin sometime in summer 2016.

    Stay tuned to see if Gosling’s casting is confirmed.

    [via: Deadline]

    Photo credit: Michael Loccisano via Getty Images

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  • Harrison Ford Officially Returns to ‘Blade Runner,’ New Director Named


    It’s a good day to be a replicant: “Blade Runner,” one of the most beloved and highly influential science fiction films of all time, will finally be getting its long-discussed sequel, set to shoot in the summer of 2016. And what’s more – Harrison Ford will be back as futuristic private eye Rick Deckard in a story set “several decades” after the original film.

    And, to add icing onto the cake, the producers have picked out probably the best filmmaker for this material not named Ridley Scott (and depending on your thoughts on Scott’s return to the “Alien” franchise, “Prometheus,” this could be a better choice) – “Prisoners” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. In short: this movie is going to be awesome.

    The press release laid out several more details, including that the screenplay for the new film was written by Michael Green and Hampton Fancher (who co-wrote the original film), from a story by Fancher and Ridley Scott (who will stay on to executive produce) and that, according to producer Andrew Kosgrove, the new film is a “uniquely potent and faithful sequel to one of the most universally celebrated films of all time.” We’ll take it!

    Villeneuve is, if you are behind in the times, one of the great filmmakers working today, having crafted, in addition to the crackerjack “Prisoners,” the wonderfully bizarre Jake Gyllenhaal thriller “Enemy,” the Acadmy Award-nominated “Incendies,” and the upcoming “Sicario,” starring Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, set to be released this fall. His eye for detail and dark vision should perfectly align with the meticulous world that Ridley Scott created in 1982. Get ready for the future, people.

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  • ‘District 9’ Director Neill Blomkamp Talks About His ‘Alien’ Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

    Over the past few months director Neill Blomkamp, whose robotic crime movie “Chappie” opens next month (and who, contrary to Twitter scuttlebutt, is very good indeed), has released a series of cryptic images over his Instagram account that suggest he was in the process of developing a new movie set within the “Alien” universe. Well, it looks like that is very much the case, as Deadline is reporting that Blomkamp has been hired to direct a new installment in the franchise, to be produced by series overlord Ridley Scott. True to form, Blomkamp took to Instagram, posting a photo of the xenomorph and saying it’s “officially my next film.” Zounds!

    Deadline was quick to point out that Scott is still actively developing a sequel to “Prometheus,” which he will once again produce and direct. There is no timeline on either project but both are moving forward (even without workable scripts). We chatted with Blomkamp a couple of weeks ago and asked him about those “Alien” images. Read what he had to say below!

    Moviefone: What were those “Alien” images you put up on Instagram?

    Neill Blomkamp: I spent a lot of 2014 on post-production on “Chappie,” coming up with an “Alien” film that I wanted to make. But then I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do any film. I’m still not sure I’m going to do any film at all. But I figured that I might as well put some of it out because it’s cool stuff. I probably put out 5-10 percent of what I developed. It’s pretty far along actually.

    Have you pitched this to Fox?

    No. But Fox would make it in a second. It’s just a case of deciding to move forward or not.

    Why wouldn’t you?

    I wouldn’t. Not because of “Alien.” Because if I was the younger me, I would kick myself in the head for not doing an “Alien” movie. It’s more a case of making sure that Hollywood and film is the right platform for me. It’s more a Is film the right place for me? question than it is specific to the project.

    Why are you having these doubts?

    Because Hollywood is lame. It’s corporately run. It’s not very artistic. And if it is artistic you have to fight. You have to shed blood to make it artistic. There are other platforms where you can just be artistic. You’d reach a lot less people but that’s okay. I’m not saying I’m leaving film because I probably won’t but I’m just assessing.

    Did you talk to Sigourney Weaver about it?

    Yes. Speaking to her about what she thought about Ripley and where she went in the movies and her thoughts on it are what led to that concept.
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