Prometheusis one of the most unique films in theAlienfranchise, but the original script would have meant the movie was a lot more connected to other entries. While Ridley Scott made huge waves for his incredibleAlienfilm in 1979, the director was largely detached from the franchise for decades after its release. Meanwhile, otheracclaimed directors such as James Cameron and David Finchercontinued the legacy with new entries that further expanded on the lore of theAlienuniverse, and continued to explore the terrifying Xenomorphs.
When Scott eventually returned to the franchise in 2012, there were incredibly high expectations forPrometheus. However, fans of the franchise were confused by the overwhelming lack of Xenomorphs, the trademark aliens at the center of theAlienmovies. Instead, a greater focus was given to the Engineers, which helped to clear up why the movie dropped the classic title in favor of a seemingly unrelated one. However, theoriginal plan for this film was very different.
Prometheus Would Have Been A More Cohesive Movie If The Obvious Connections To Alien Weren’t Cut
Initially,Prometheuswas titledAlien: Engineers, which hints at the story having a more broad focus that would cover both the Xenomorphs, and the Engineers. In an early draft of the script, thefilm had a much more comprehensive story that connected the Xenomorphswith these ancient mysterious beings, and included many of the other familiar creatures from throughout the franchise’s history. From Chestbursters, to Facehuggers, and beyond, the movie would have included many more familiar staples of the franchise.
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However, in later rewrites, many of the scenes featuring the aliens were cut. This impacted the stories' overall fluidity, as it meant some moments lacked proper context to have sufficient weight. While it clearly streamlined the movie, and shifted the focus to David, the android who betrays the humans, and the Engineers, even theseelements felt somewhat diluted and like an odd additionto a franchise that already had so much world building and lore attached to it.
While the original story was likely not entirely viable, because the sheer volume of storytelling may have pushed the movies runtime well beyond reasonable limitations, the cuts that were made feel aggressive. Rather than simply taking strong elements of the original script and rewriting them, itappears more like the finished story was cut down, which left gaps in the story, and led to many confusing details. This can also be seen thanks to thenumber of pivotal deleted scenes inPrometheusthat have since been released, which add considerably more context to the film.
The Final Version Of Prometheus Would’ve Worked Better As A Standalone Movie
Prometheus Could Have Started A Spin-Off Franchise
Instead, the movie was released as a highly edited finished product that led to many fans having intense and divided opinions on the story. Despite being a prequel, the movie felt too different to the other entries, and it’s only in the years since it was released, withmany more entries building on that lore, that it has become more widely accepted. But, this confusion and frustration could have been avoided if there had been a simple change made to the film.
Despite being a prequel, the movie felt too different to the other entries.
Instead of releasingPrometheusas part of the mainline films, the prequel could have taken a different approach, in a similar way to how thePredatorfilms operate as a distinctly different franchise. ThePredatormovies still have crossovers with theAlienfilms.Prometheuscould obviously have had more links to theAlienfranchise, helping to draw these two universes together, but by announcing it as anAlienmovie and failing to really deliver a movie where those expected aliens play a big role,Prometheusfailed to be recognized for its own inherent value until years later.
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Ultimately,Prometheusshould have leaned more heavily into the original series by including the Xenomorphs more, or having more references, or it needed to take a big step back and be distinct. Scott is renowned for his work in sci-fi, horror, and historical epics, butPrometheustried to combine these elements in a way that detracted from each, rather than building on the earlier foundation. IfPrometheushad gone with the original script, it could have been a completely different movie, but still expanded on the franchise in meaningful ways.
Prometheus
Cast
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
