The film takes place in the days following the Cherbobyl disaster and centers around conversations had between Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev while they took a spa vacation together in Iceland to begin considering peace between their nations. That would mean this movie is set in 1986, which means Reagan’s former co-star Bonzo the Chimp won’t factor into the story. So, Andy Serkis‘s agent can stop leaving so many voicemails. (THR)

On June 18th, a man attended a screening of the film only to have a major plot point revealed by a Regal employee before he entered the theater. Spoilers ahead so if you want to see the film with fresh eyes, don’t read any further or visit the Regal Cinemas Thornton Place Stadium 14.

“I have to warn you: halfway through the movie, the main female character will perform a self-induced abortion,” said the ticket-ripper while welcoming the customer to Regal. 

After asking around, the man discovered the employee had been warning all viewers. Pissed off, he confronted the theater manager, and said he was mad about both the spoiler and also what he perceived as a political agenda. After then complaining to corporate, he was sent two free tickets. However, “no explanation was given as to why this had happened,” so the man sent back the tickets.

Yes, spoilers suck but I think warning the viewer is a good idea. All offensive films should be spoiled from now on. Like so, “I have to warn you: the main female character is played by Tyler Perry.”

These are the kinds of things we deserve to know! (The Stranger)

Kinda intense for a dating profile, but I’d still go out with her.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, a film that is sort of an Alien prequel, but if you say that, people will judge you for some reason, has officially been bestowed upon it an “R” rating. And you know what that means…

We’ll almost certainly be catching another glimpse of Michael Fassbender‘s penis. Hello, old friend.

Prometheus was given the rating due to “sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language.” I’m pretty sure you can substitute “British genitals” for “intense images” to see what they’re really getting at.

In all seriousness, it’s great to see a movie stick to the screenwriters‘ original intent and not water down content for broader distribution. Further, it will be nice to see a smart, violent film along the lines of Alien and Terminator, rather than fare that tends to fall on one side of the line or the other.

It also helps that focus groups showed that children were unable to even pronounce “Prometheus” when ordering tickets at the box office. They were all “Promeefus.” It was adorable.

This is a perfect example of how to market a film without spoiling it. The amount of production value used here is a turning point in the evolution of viral promotions. It’s slick and attention-grabbing and strong enough to draw the audience into the theater. I’m sure we’ll see this campaign’s influences in future viral marketing plans. Let’s take a look now at the viral videos that lead us up to this point.

Prometheus

In this second viral video, we’re introduced to Michael Fassbender’s David. Here David speaks about himself and what it’s like to be a robot created by Weyland Industries. There’s been a lot of speculation online that Fassbender would play an android in the film given his cherubic, blonde appearance. And now that cat’s out of the bag. Which teaches me to run up to the blondest person I see and check their fingerprints. Robots could be dwelling amongst us and we wouldn’t even know it.

Watchmen

This Watchmen viral video introduces the world to Dr. Manhattan by reviewing his origin and the innovations the supreme being brought to the fields of science, technology, renewable energy, and space exploration. However, he wasn’t able to convert atoms to do anything about that newscasters jacket. Even gods have their limits.

With this tease, directed by Luke Scott, we jump ahead thirteen years into the future for TED2023. Here, Pearce slimes it up as Peter Weyland while discussing his interest in changing the world. It’s a short bit that won’t appear in the actual film, but still a pretty cool nod to the world we currently inhabit. Gives me the impression that if anyone is going to stumble across alien xenomorphs, it would be a wealthy British entreprenuar. Richard Branson, I’m looking at you.

If anything, this international trailer for Ridley Scott’s maybe Alien prequel gives us a hint of the scope of this film. The large set pieces that build both the crew’s world and the alien civilization look massive and if we could figure out what the hell is going on here I’d bet we’re in for another tremendous science fiction film from Scott. Still feel bad that this bunch is being tortured, though. Then again, they’re all rather pretty and probably got unfair advantages at astronaut school. Maybe had they studied more, they wouldn’t have melted faces now. (via Twitch)

I believe in cautious optimism in cases like this, so I’m waiting until this story gets confirmed before plastering “He’s Back!” fliers all over my town and buying stock in flying cars. Still, it would make sense that Ford would be interested in a project like this, since he hasn’t had a big hit apart from the last Indiana Jones movie in a long time – and that movie also featured him reprising a popular character decades after the fact. It didn’t have any flying cars, though. (The Playlist)

At any rate, this trailer looks so bad ass that I’m willing to accept the apology. All is forgiven, Prometheus PR people. Let the healing begin.

Explain yourself, Ridley Scott.

“By the end of the third act you start to realize there’s a DNA of the very first alien, but none of the subsequent aliens. To tell you what that is is a pity, and I’m not going to tell you, because it’s actually pretty good, pretty organic to the process and to the original. But we go back, we don’t go forward.”

Scott also acknowledges that the Space Jockey from the original will be involved. Also, why the hell didn’t anyone notice or ask any questions about the giant corpse?

“Yeah, so there you have that. I was always amazed that, I mean, I’ve only done two science-fictions, but I was always amazed that no one asked who the hell the Space Jockey was. He wasn’t even called the Space Jockey. During the film they started to call it the Space Jockey. I don’t know who started that one off. I always thought it was amazing that no one ever asked who he was, and why was he there? What was all that about? I sat thinking about this for a while and thought, well, there’s a story! And the other four [films] missed it! So, here it is.”

And yes, H.R. Giger will be in da house.

“I brought him in, I showed him what we were doing, showed him the story and he liked it a lot” said Scott. “So he’s doing a little bit of work for me. He’s been doing some murals, big murals, which we’ll see in almost one of the first chambers we encounter when we land where we’re gonna go.”

And can we expect to see the alien itself devouring the cast?

“No. Absolutely not,” states Scott before joking, “They squeezed it dry. He (the xenomorph) did very well. (He laughs) He survived, he’s now in Disneyland in Orlando, and no way am I going back there. How did he end up in Disneyland? I saw him in Disneyland, Jesus Christ!”

I don’t know, but xenomorphs rampaging through Disneyland would make an awesome movie. (Filmophilia)

The images prove that the news about casting Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, and Charlize Theron weren’t dirty lies after all. I knew it!

These pics really don’t lend themselves to commentary, but it would appear that Ridley Scott’s Alien sort-of prequel has some ancient alien heads, nifty uniforms and spacesuits, and an extremely pixelated spaceship (though that could just be the scan quality).

Draw your own conclusions from these, or conservatively wait to pass judgment until you get more information. Sorry if that sounded judge-y. I seriously don’t care what you do.

Thus far, the project has no cast and no script, but screw it, it’s Friday, so let’s get excited about this for no particular reason!

*does worm on office floor*

A few things about a sequel here: The original was based on the Phillip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and pretty much exhausted that source material, so the poor son of a bitch that has to write this story will have some pretty big shoes to fill. Further, there will be no Deckard, no Harrison Ford, and none of the cast will be the same.

Sooooo…the thing we’re excited about is that the guy who directed a seminal and lauded science fiction movie is following it up with a tangential movie featuring a completely different cast decades later.

I think I’ve heard this one before.

It doesn’t end well.

And thanks to the news that Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski will be penning the screenplay, it looks like this might be an actual “film” and not some perverse 90-minute product placement exercise. The duo has shared credits on Ed Wood, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, and Man on the Moon.

One can only assume that this means we will see Rich Uncle Pennybags as a tragically flawed character, possibly played by Daniel Day-Lewis, leading a hollow existence as he finds himself in and out of jail, entering beauty contests, and carrying with him the dark burden of unreported bank errors in his favor.

Awesome.

On the heels of Ridley’s announcement this morning that he will be returning to the world of Blade Runner, Deadline reports that Tony is in talks to take a pass at the 1959 Sam Peckinpah classic The Wild Bunch. The original followed an aging gang of gunslingers as they shoot for one last score near the Mexico border in 1913.

The premise is universal enough that studios have attempted a variety of remakes in different settings, but none have stuck. However, with the Tony Scott name behind it, this iteration could get a fair amount more tractions than earlier attempts.

With most action stars finding themselves approaching old age these days, there is no shortage of talent from which to draw.

I will never work without 3D again, even for small dialogue scenes.

Say whaaaaaaaat, Ridley? Can it be? Is an auteur such as him falling head over heels in love with 3D now? The director elaborated:

3D has been a wonderful exercise but I was brought up as a camera operator so its really about lensing and all that kind of stuff. So with the help I’ve had from a wonderful cameraman and his technical team its been, for me, a pretty straight forward ride. That said I’ll never work without 3D again, even for small dialogue scenes. I love the whole process. 3D opens up the universe of even a small dialogue scene so I’ve been very impressed with that.

I get a former camera operator such as himself falling in love with the whole depth thing, but c’mon, aren’t we all getting tired of wearing those clunky glasses for two straight hours? What do you guys think? Maybe it’s time we accept that 3D is here to stay.

6 photosCharlize Theron

Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life’s ultimate mystery.

(Collider)

Cloverfield

Rob and Beth talking to the camcorder

A perfect blend of two parts monster madness and one part sappy romance, Cloverfield‘s plot revolves around a massive creature of unknown origin as it ravages downtown New York. Instead of evacuating, a young man goes to rescue an ex-girlfriend with the help of some friends. Being a hero at heart he goes back knowing full well the monster still lurks the area. A word of caution, the director went with the “shaky cam” style of filmmaking—one or both of you may end up puking, unless you have a stash of Dramamine on hand.

Alien

Alien stuck to crew member's face

A spacecraft lands on a distant, unexplored planet to answer a distress beacon after which an alien creature boards their ship. While some may consider this to be a little too “old-school”, it still delivers the chills even if you have already seen it a few times. The H.R. Giger-designed alien is frightening enough, but most of the scares are delivered through Ridley Scott‘s masterful use of mood and atmosphere. Even if it is the “oldest” film on this list, Alien set the bar so high when it was release in the late ’70s that horror flicks today, in all their CG glory, still struggle to match its quality.

28 Days Later

Zombie on fire chasing Cillian Murphy

Most think 28 Days Later is a zombie-type flick. The truth is, the “zombies” are actually still alive, having been transformed into monstrous, bloodthirsty savages by a strange virus. The creatures roam the streets of England hunting down the few survivors who remain in the country. 28 Days Later is so frightening and so disturbing that there is a strong possibility it will be you that ends up inching towards your girlfriend as you watch in fear.

The Mist

From the mind of Stephen King, The Mist features a plethora of monsters that all but guarantees to give you and your girlfriend some major goosebumps. A handful of civilians are trapped in a local grocery store as a strange mist engulfs their entire town. The mist not only clouds the area it covers, it is also home to an unknown number of fiendish monsters. You may have to watch this movie at least once before watching it with a lady friend just so you know what to expect. The last thing you want to do is scream like a little girl in front of her.

Dog Soldiers

Werewolf in the woods in Dog Soldier

Last but not least is the 2002 British release, Dog Soldiers. A squad of special forces are training in the Scottish Highlands when they find the remains of another group of soldiers who had trained in the area. The troops then go into battle mode only to find that their adversaries are not men but werewolves. The movie does start slow but by the 30 minute mark, you and your girlfriend will be clinging to each other in mutual fear…which will hopefully lead to some other mutual activities.

Lindelof has now shared his side of the events and whether or not Prometheus has ties to the Alien films.

It started as an Alien prequel. That is what everybody wanted it to be. Obviously, Ridley Scott has not made a science fiction movie in 25 years, since Blade Runner, so the idea that he’s returning to this genre is huge. But there is a real issue which is — what is the state of the Alien franchise at this point in our lives? There has been Alien vs. Predator and all these things, and its been completely and totally diluted. I’ve always felt that really good prequels should be original movies. And the sequels to those prequels should not be the movie which already exists because, with all due respect to anyone who makes a prequel, but why would you ruin the greatest twist in the history of cinema, “Luke, I am your father”, by showing me three movies which basically spoil that surprise. You can do movies which take place before Star Wars, but I don’t need to see the story of the Skywalker clan. Show me something else which I can’t guess the possible outcome of. There is no suspense in inevitability. So a true prequel should essentially proceed the events of the original film, but be about something entirely different, feature different characters , have an entirely different theme, although it takes place in that same world. That was my fundamental feeling about what this movie wanted to be.”

We shouldn’t expect Predator to show up (until the second sequel at least). Lindelof also talks about how his contributions impacted the material.

“And truth be told, it wasn’t script doctoring in the strictest sense because the draft that existed before I came on was written by this guy named Jon Spaihts and it was very good. And there were a lot of things in the movie, Prometheus, which were Jon Spaihts and I feel like somewhere in the media reconstruction of this story, the tale is that I come in, I pitch an entirely new story, and its so original that everything else gets thrown out and that’s what we’re doing. In my brain, that’s not exactly what happened. But I also do feel that this movie is the movie I would want to see as a fanboy, take place in that Alien universe, which precedes the events of the original Alien, but is not necessarily burdened by all the tropes of that franchise with Facehuggers and Chestbursters, and all that stuff that I love…but its sorta like, we’ve seen it before, can we do something different this time? And thats the movie that Ridley wanted to make. And when you’re working with an auteur, you basically just shut your mouth and listen and try to transcribe and channel the vision of that person, and get out of the way.”

So it was Ridley Scott who pushed the story into more original territory. That’s cool. I just still hope that something eats people in it. (via Collider)

Will it take place in the Alien universe?

If so, will we see xenomorphs?

If there are xenomorphs, will they look like classic Alien aliens? Also, will Reagan fight them?

The answer to all three questions is: don’t go see this, if you want answers to those questions. Here’s the link to Prometheus news. Reykjavik is a small budget film about two real life historical figures chatting in a room, written by Kevin Hood. Seems like this might be an Oscar-ish type of project, so maybe Scott wants a statue on his mantle that’s not a maquette of an Alien Warrior. (ScreenDaily)

Zodiac writer Jamie Vanderbilt is web-slinging his way back to crime dramas after penning The Amazing Spider-Man. He’s set to write Ridley Scott‘s Red Riding for Columbia, but don’t worry, it’s not another entry in the endless wave fairy tale adaptations. Based on a British mini-series, which was based on books by David Pearce, which were probably based on something else, Red Riding is about the murders of several kidnapped young girls in a British town from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Oh, and the local police are also crooked. The whole thing sounds like a light-hearted good time.

Vanderbilt, whose last name makes him sound like the country club villain in an 80s comedy, recently did a polish draft on the Total Recall remake. (Hollywood Reporter)

He’ll be joining Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Rafe Spall, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, and Logan Marshall-Green. No idea why Cillian Murphy isn’t also a part of this project. Maybe his voice-mailbox was full when they called. (The Playlist)

Meanwhile, the blog Alien Prequel News has reported that they’ve seen recognizable xenomorph costumes on set, with some modification. So, you will be seeing the aliens in Ridley Scott‘s new Alien film, even though it isn’t exactly an Alien film. Got it? Here’s a description of what the reporter saw:

“Though security on the set is very tight with the good weather, dock doors have been open and cast and crew have been enjoying lunch outdoors. I can confirm seeing 3 aliens having lunch. Not the whole costume but blue-ish costumes and the unmistakable heads hanging around their shoulders.”

In space, no one can hear you scream, “I ordered the salami, god damn it.”

Prometheus, starring Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron, enters our atmosphere June 8, 2012. (APN)

Or rather, the above trailer is almost certainly better than what the real Monopoly movie, because it’s only 2 minutes long. “Monopoly – Official Trailer” is a high-production-values-for-sketch-comedy video from the group Half Day Today, featured on Funny Or Die. It’s got everything: money, power, sex by way of the Community Chest, a foot token rich with symbolism, and that asshole Uncle Pennybags.

So hold onto your silver hat, collect your 200 whim-whams and enjoy Monopoly: The Major Motion Picture. Hopefully, they’ll also make an IMAX version.

The deal comes under Cinemax’s new initiative to put less bare breasts and occasional glimpse of penis on their late night schedule. The action series “tracks the commander of a paramilitary unit who pursues a dangerous new race of genetically-enhanced humans.”

This makes me already miss Cinemax’s old shows about cosmetically-enhanced humans. Hopefully there will be a few episodes that take place in a ski lodge or at a fund-raising car wash. (The Wrap)

“Born to privilege in England, the Oxford-educated Bell found her calling in the desert while visiting her diplomat uncle in Persia. She became a seminal figure in Middle East politics during the run-up to WWI, acting in roles that ranged from  archaeologist to diplomat, photographer and spy.”

A spy, huh? I’m seeing a promotional campaign in the vein of last year’s Salt. I hope to see “Who Is Gertrude?” posters all over town very soon. Scott has gotten the screenwriter of The Constant Gardener, Jeffrey Caine, and is producing with Giannina Facio. They’re also working on another project that actually sounds a little more interesting about the Gucci family and the 1995 murder of Maurizio Gucci at the hands of a hitman hired by his ex-wife. When is Ridley Scott going to finally take up golf or something? (via Deadline)

Intertwined with this story, is one of a 17-year old girl in the thirteenth-century who is on a mission to protect the secrets of the Holy Grail from the invading French.

How those stories mesh isn’t exactly clear but I’d be interested to see Ridley direct the thirteenth-century storyline and Tony helm the present day. Mainly because a Kenny Loggins soundtrack would be distracting laid on top of the French invasion. (Variety)

“It’s a very human and personal story. It’s not really ‘Wall Street,’ not at all,” he explained. “It’s a fictionalized story of a family, and there’s a lot of intrigue in the story. Suffice it to say, it’s a story about a family with a history, and we’re projecting that into current times. But it’s not ‘Wall Street.’ It’s more about property ownership and of the play-pattern of the game.”

So it’s gonna be just like Wall Street. Got it. Production will start… uh, sometime. When Scott is ready to pass go.

With all these board game adaptations coming out, like Battleship and Risk, I’m already getting bored with board games – and the movies haven’t even come out yet. I wish toy companies would leave the movies alone, or instead make more board games based on movies. I’d play Saw: The Board Game. It’d be like Mouse Trap, but with deadlier traps, like a pit of needles. That’s some serious win as far as I’m concerned. (MTV News)