Ridley Scott has returned to the franchise that made his career with Alien: Covenant, the sort-of-sequel to the deservedly-maligned Alien prequel, Prometheus.
The film follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they travel towards a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy. Though believing the newly discovered and uncharted world is a paradise, they soon learn that this planet is far more dangerous and terrifying than it appears to be. Adding to the mystery, the crew of the Covenant discover the only “living” inhabitant of this supposed paradise is the synthetic David (Michael Fassbender), a survivor of the Prometheus expedition many years ago. The film also co-stars Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir and James Franco. Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce are also expected to appear in some capacity.
Does the first trailer for the film catch your interest? Watch below and let us know!
In terms of tone, Covenant is definitely trying to capture the horror and scares that made the original Alien such a landmark film. With a heavy focus on grotesque body horror (always a plus) and some wonderfully eerie sound design, the trailer does a great job of selling the fact that this is going to be a sci-fi/horror movie. What gives me some pause (other than the fact that this is Scott’s second attempt to restart the Alien franchise) is that Covenant doesn’t appear to have the same grungy, gothic aesthetic that the original film had. Everything, from the ship to the technology that the characters use looks sleek and clean. An Apple store also appears to make a quick cameo at the 00:35 minute mark.
Part of what made the first two Alien moves so good was the fact that the technology was big, bulky and well-used. It made the world of Alien feel all the more real and atmospheric, providing a sense of familiarity and immersion for viewers. Covenant doesn’t seem to share that same aesthetic, and appears to opt for flashy touchpads and well-lit hallways.
What does give me some hope is the film’s screenwriter, John Logan (Skyfall). Logan’s resume is nothing to balk at and includes a number of critically acclaimed films like Gladiator, The Aviator and Hugo. My hope is that Logan can provide Covenant with more fleshed-out characters and a stronger narrative structure that Prometheus sorely lacked.
Alien: Covenant will creep its way into theatres on May 19, 2017.
