When it came to casting a film like 'Alien: Covenant', director Ridley Scott found himself looking outside of the film industry and more towards the world of stage productions. It's there he found Katherine Waterston, whom he decided was just perfect for his female protagonist.

Katherine Waterston stars as Daniels in 'Alien: Covenant'

Of course, there were always going to be comparisons drawn from Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley from the first four movies, but Daniels is by and large a very different role. And that meant finding a very different sort of actress.

Continue reading: Ridley Scott: Katherine Waterston Is 'Physically Imposing'

Alien: Covenant Review

Very Good

Master filmmaker Ridley Scott is back to continue the story 10 years after the events of 2012's Prometheus. And while this film carries on with the bigger themes about creation and identity, at its heart it actually has much more in common with the film in which he kicked off the franchise, 1979's Alien. Yes, this is a horror movie. It's slickly made and packed with engaging characters, and it gets gruesomely scary too.

The setting is somewhere in space in 2104, as the colonising ship Covenant carries a few thousand sleeping earthlings to a new world, tended to by the android Walter (Michael Fassbender). Then a space flare awakens the 15-person crew, and they hear a rogue radio transmission from a nearby planet that's eerily perfect for colonisation. Captain Oran (Billy Crudup) thinks it's worth checking out, potentially shaving seven years off their journey. First officer Daniels (Katherine Waterston) isn't so sure. But off they go, exploring the spectacular mountainous terrain, where they find a crashed ship and a city populated only by the Prometheus' android David (also Fassbender) and some creepy, acid-salivating creatures that he has something to do with.

The plot plays out like a slasher movie, as the crew members are picked off one by one, starting with the ones we don't know and building up to the starrier cast members. Each main actor gets to invest some back-story into his or her role, establishing relationships and personality quirks that hold the interest. Waterston is clearly the protagonist from the start, grieving over the death of her husband (James Franco in video clips) and showing natural leadership skills. Crudup is the impulsive captain who mellows into someone much more intriguing as the story progresses. And McBride has the other standout role as a tenacious pilot. But of course it's Fassbender who walks off with the film, excelling in scenes in which Walter and David engage in a kind of twisted bromance with nasty sibling-rivalry undertones.

Continue reading: Alien: Covenant Review

Alien: Covenant Meet Walter Clip Trailer

In this early clip from Alien: Covenant, we see two technicians in full bodysuits approach an operating table in a huge open theatre and begin to create an artificial life. They uncover a basic skeleton structure and step by step a humanlike body is formed. As the process completes, the body is uncovered and Michael Fassebender's character, Walter, is revealed; an android who's been created to join the crew of the spaceship Covenant which is set to journey to a distant planet on a expedition. The land is a exotic paradise but the mysteries it holds soon become a huge problem for the crew of Covenant.

Director Ridley Scott has had a long relationship with the Alien franchise; the first movie (released in 1979) was actually only his second attempt at directing and the movie won an Oscar for best visual effects.There's been a number of other directors put their spin on the Alien movies but in 2012 Scott retuned to the directors chair with Promethius - the precursor to Alien Covenant.

The music playing in the background of the 'Walter' clip is the hauntingly beautiful 'I Feel You' by Melanie De Biasio and remixed by EELS. The original version of the track was featured on Melanie's second studio album 'No Deal'.

Alien: Covenant Trailer

Ten years after the disastrous expedition that was Prometheus, another group of space explorers band together on the ship Covenant, hoping to uncover a previously untrodden paradise. Among them are Daniels, an expert in terraforming, and Walter, a synthetic android who looks like a replica of David though much more advanced. Unfortunately, the paradise they hoped for doesn't exist and instead they bump into David himself who is 'living' in a world full of terrifying creatures. The face huggers are back, the xenomorph is definitely back, and there is a sickness that threatens to engulf them all.

Perhaps a dark prophecy of what's to come lies in the 'Last Supper' clip, where one of the crew members, Faris, starts apparently choking on her food as the pilot jokes, 'The food's not that bad'. The scene and the words themselves hearken back to the famous chestburster scene from the original 1979 film, where Kane suffers a grisly alien attack during the final meal before cryostasis. Thankfully, this time was just a minor choking incident, and Walter was on hand to save his team member.

'Alien: Covenant' is the second part in the new prequel series for the franchise, and the sequel to 2012's 'Prometheus'. Directed by the Oscar nominated Ridley Scott ('Blade Runner', 'The Martian') with a screenplay by John Logan ('Penny Dreadful', 'Spectre'), it has already made 7th place in the Most Anticipated Films of 2017 in the Indiewire Critics' Poll. The trailer features a sensationally eerie cover of Nat King Cole's 'Nature Boy' by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, and the film is set to be released on May 19th 2017.

Katherine Waterston Discusses Working With Ridley Scott On 'Alien: Covenant'

By Holly Williams in Movies / TV / Theatre on 01 January 2017

Katherine Waterston Ridley Scott

The actress dubs the famous filmmaker as 'an actor's director'.

Katherine Waterston had her breakthrough last year but her biggest role to date is this year's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' in which she starred opposite Eddie Redmayne. Now she's venturing into even bigger territory with Ridley Scott's latest project 'Alien: Covenant'.

Katherine Waterston opens up about Ridley Scott

She's worked with the likes of David Yates, Danny Boyle and Paul Thomas Anderson but it's safe to say her new partnership with director Ridley Scott is a special one. She stars as Daniels in the sixth installment of the 'Alien' franchise and just can't praise the Academy Award nominated filmmaker enough.

Continue reading: Katherine Waterston Discusses Working With Ridley Scott On 'Alien: Covenant'

The New Poster For 'Alien: The Covenant' Offers New Release Date

By Holly Williams in Movies / TV / Theatre on 24 November 2016

Ridley Scott

It's also a really scary image.

The stunning new poster for the forthcoming 'Prometheus' sequel entitled 'Alien: The Covenant' has now arrived online, along with a brand new release date that slates the film to come to movie theatres three months earlier than we initially expected. It's like Christmas coming early!

Ridley Scott returns with 'Alien: The Covenant'

20th Century Fox have unveiled the new promotional banner which comes alongside a simple message: 'Run'. Originally set to be released on August 4th 2017, the release date has now been moved up to May; a fact that has no doubt got Ridley Scott fans extremely excited.

Continue reading: The New Poster For 'Alien: The Covenant' Offers New Release Date

Ridley Scott's The Martian Demolishes All Challengers

By Rich Cline in Movies / TV / Theatre on 30 October 2015

Ridley Scott Matt Damon

The film is having a lasting impact in both the US and UK.

Last weekend, Ridley Scott's The Martian actually climbed up the box office charts in both the US and UK, becoming the most durable hit of the autumn. In America, the film reclaimed the top spot by knocking Goosebumps into second place. And pundits are saying Matt Damon should have no trouble fending off challenges this weekend from Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper.

Matt Damon in The Martian Matt Damon's The Martian is smashing box office numbers

In the UK, The Martian will relinquish its crown to Spectre, but the film has taken nearly $400 million at the box office over the past month. And in America, it looks set to carry yet another weekend, as its main competitors have both had mediocre reviews. Sandra Bullock's political comedy Our Brand Is Crisis isn't expected to do as well as her higher profile hits like Gravity and The Heat, while Bradley Cooper'a cooking comedy Burnt comes in the wake of his lacklustre rom-com Aloha.

Continue reading: Ridley Scott's The Martian Demolishes All Challengers

'The Martian' Enjoys Massive Opening Weekend At American Box Offices

By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 04 October 2015

Matt Damon Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott and Matt Damon's new movie exceeded expectations, taking nearly $10 million more than predicted.

Matt Damon and Ridley Scott’s new blockbuster The Martian has landed at the top of the U.S. box office charts, and is estimated to have made a massive $55 million in its opening weekend.

Having opened on Friday, the acclaimed sci-fi movie seems to have fallen just short of breaking the record for a debut weekend in October held by the 3-D extravaganza Gravity, which took $55.8 million when it was released in 2013. However, when the final results are released on Monday (October 5th), it may well be the case that The Martian has broken the record, according to Variety.

'The Martian' enjoyed a fantastic opening weekend at U.S. box offices

Continue reading: 'The Martian' Enjoys Massive Opening Weekend At American Box Offices

The Martian Makes Matt Damon Think Of Life In The Stars

By Rich Cline in Movies / TV / Theatre on 02 October 2015

Matt Damon Ridley Scott

The star admits he felt weird jumping straight back into space after 'Interstellar'.

For his first lead role in nearly two years, Matt Damon chose to play a man stranded on Mars in the Ridley Scott sci-fi adventure The Martian. But after having shot a small role in Interstellar, he was a bit hesitant about boarding the project. Damon remembers his conversation with Scott: "I said, 'You know, I really want to do this with you, but I just did a cameo in Chris Nolan's movie. Very, very different, but it's about a guy stranded by himself on a planet. It might be weird to follow that up with playing a guy stranded on Mars.' And Ridley said, 'It's not going to matter. One year in between the films - that's a lifetime now!'"

Matt Damon in The Martian Matt Damon ponders life on Mars after starring in 'The Martian'

Damon particularly liked how The Martian's script maintained the scientific authenticity and humorous tone of Andy Weir's novel. "I do believe these guys have a good sense of irony," he says. "Anybody I've met who has some kind of occupation that's cheating death all the time, they tend to have that kind of gallows humour and sarcasm. So we aimed to make the movie funny without losing a sense of what the stakes are."

Continue reading: The Martian Makes Matt Damon Think Of Life In The Stars

The Martian Review

Excellent

Just as people began to write off veteran director Ridley Scott after a series of merely OK movies, the 77-year-old casually releases his most entertaining film in years. This sci-fi adventure is lithe, humorous, thrilling and genuinely moving. In other words, it's one of Scott's best films, mixing eye-catching visuals with a story that resonates with both emotion and deeper meaning. And it's also a lot of fun.

In the very near future, the first manned mission to Mars is caught off guard by a sudden storm. With their ship in danger, Commander Lewis (Jessica Chastain) orders the crew to evacuate, but in the chaos botanist Watney (Matt Damon) is knocked away and presumed dead. As Lewis and her team (Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and Aksel Hennie) begin the long trek back to Earth, Watney wakes up alone on Mars and understands that he will need to survive until the next mission arrives in four years' time. But his habitat is only designed to last for 30 days, so he has a lot of work to do. Eventually, he thinks of a way to get a message back home to Nasa, letting them know he's alive. Now the experts (including Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean and Kristen Wiig) must figure out a way to rescue him before he runs out of food and water.

The story plays out on three fronts: with Watney using his expertise to survive, Lewis and her crew on their long journey back home, and the Nasa officials mounting a rescue mission. All three plot-strands are riveting, using convincing science to explore the conundrum while cranking up the emotional urgency of the situation. Intriguingly, the script never gives Watney a family back on Earth to sentimentalise things; the film simply doesn't need that. And Damon more than holds the audience's sympathy. He's funny, smart, tenacious and thoroughly identifiable, the kind of person we wish we would be in the same situation.

Continue reading: The Martian Review

Is Ryan Gosling Set To Take The Lead In New 'Blade Runner' Movie?

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 30 September 2015

Ryan Gosling Ridley Scott Harrison Ford Denis Villeneuve

Ridley Scott has suggested Gosling could star in the new ‘Blade Runner’ film, opposite Harrison Ford.

Director Ridley Scott has said he thinks Ryan Gosling will take the lead role in the new Blade Runner film which will also star Harrison Ford. But the follow up to the 1982 sci-fi cult classic will not have Scott behind the camera, as he’s now handed the reigns over to Denis Villeneuve.

Ryan Gosling could take the lead in new Blade Runner movie.

Speaking to Den of Geek Scott said, “I think Ryan Gosling is probably going to do it, with Harrison.” When then asked if Gosling would play the central character Scott replied, “Yeah, yeah. I can’t really say more than that, because it’ll give away the story. But Harrison’s definitely in it. In an important way.”

Continue reading: Is Ryan Gosling Set To Take The Lead In New 'Blade Runner' Movie?

Matt Damon Chats About Upcoming Movie 'The Martian'

By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 25 September 2015

Matt Damon Ridley Scott

The actor spoke about the book from which 'The Martian' was adapted, and how he prepared for the demanding role with director Ridley Scott.

Matt Damon’s new movie The Martian is set for theatrical release at the start of October. Directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from a 2011 science-fiction novel of the same name written by Andy Weir, the Hollywood A-lister plays an astronaut stranded on Mars after the rest of his team flee the planet following a storm.

It may sound like a pretty harrowing affair, but Damon says in a new interview that it’s quite the opposite. “The book is really funny, and the movie, I think, is really funny too, which might surprise some people”.

Matt Damon stars in 'The Martian'

Continue reading: Matt Damon Chats About Upcoming Movie 'The Martian'

Ridley Scott Intends To Make Three More 'Prometheus' Movies

By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 23 September 2015

Ridley Scott Michael Fassbender Noomi Rapace

After 'Prometheus 2' in 2017, there will be another two sequels before the plotline links up with 'Alien', the veteran director says.

Fans of the Alien franchise who were left slightly confused by Prometheus a few years ago can rest easy that everything will be explained – eventually. Director Ridley Scott has claimed that he wants to make three sequels to Prometheus, at the end of which the storyline will link into the Alien narrative.

Scott, 77, told German entertainment website FilmFutter that the two franchises would eventually dovetail into one another when he was asked about Prometheus 2, which is not due for release for another couple of years. It will see Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace return to reprise the roles they occupied for the 2012 original.

“It will not be the next [film]” the director said. “It will be in the next but one Prometheus or perhaps even in a later film, before we are, in a sense, back in the Alien franchise.”

Continue reading: Ridley Scott Intends To Make Three More 'Prometheus' Movies

The Martian - Clips

In these faux featurettes, the crew of Ares 3 talk us through some of the procedures and practices they must go through before embarking on their perilous mission to Mars. The small team of astronauts are put through rigorous training and exercise programs to make sure they're both mentally and physically fit for the mission.

The team also talk about how they will actually get to Mars and show you around their ship.

Matt Damon leads the cast in The Martian, he plays astronaut Mark Watney who specialises in botany and mechanical engineering. The story follows his struggle to survive as he becomes deserted on Mars after a near fatal accident.

Continue: The Martian - Clips

Ridley Scott Signs On To Direct Fox Adaptation Of Don Winslow's 'The Cartel'

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 25 July 2015

Ridley Scott Leonardo Dicaprio

The book published in July has parallels to the life of drug lord El Chapo.

Ridley Scott has reportedly signed on to direct an adaptation of Don Winslow's novel The Cartel for studio Fox. Released last month, the novel tells the fictional story of a DEA agent and the drug lord he becomes obsessed with taking down.

Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott has signed on to direct an adaptation of The Cartel.

Continue reading: Ridley Scott Signs On To Direct Fox Adaptation Of Don Winslow's 'The Cartel'

See Matt Damon Get Left Behind On Mars In First Look At 'The Martian' [Trailer + Pictures]

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 09 June 2015

Matt Damon Sebastian Stan Ridley Scott Jessica Chastain Kristen Wiig Jeff Daniels

Ridley Scott directs a star studded cast in the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel.

David Bowie once asked us if there was ‘Life on Mars’ and this November the answer will be yes.. sort of, as Matt Damon finds himself stranded all alone on the red planet. Following in the footsteps of Gravity and Interstellar, comes Ridley Scott’s The Martian 2015’s space set drama, which sees Matt Damon fight for survival alone on Mars.

Matt Damon stars as astronaut Mark Watney in The Martian.

In The Martian Damon stars as astronaut Mark Watney, who is left stranded and presumed dead on Mars, after his crew evacuate the planet during a dust storm. Faced with a potential four year wait for rescue, Watney must fight to stay alive, as he attempts to make contact with ground control.

Continue reading: See Matt Damon Get Left Behind On Mars In First Look At 'The Martian' [Trailer + Pictures]

The Martian - International Trailer

Mark Watney is an astronaut whose resourceful and determined personality is the only thing he has to rely on when he is accidentally abandoned on Mars when his team abort their mission in the face of an oncoming storm. He is presumed dead, but he has miraculously survived, though injured, and now must do everything within his power to get a message to NASA, calculating that if they get it, he still has to survive for four years until they reach him. He has little left in the way of supplies and is living in a Hab which is meant for only a month's worth of use. On his to do list is to attempt to grow crops to survive on, and do everything he can to make water. Luckily for him, a message does reach NASA and his crewmates immediately come together to work out how to rescue their man.

Continue: The Martian - International Trailer

Ryan Gosling In Talks For 'Blade Runner' Sequel

By Elinor Cosgrave in Movies / TV / Theatre on 17 April 2015

Blade Runner Harrison Ford Ryan Gosling Ridley Scott Denis Villeneuve Michael Green Russell Crowe Christian Bale Adam McKay Brad Pitt

Ryan Gosling is reportedly in talks to star in the 'Blade Runner' movie alongside Harrison Ford.

Ryan Gosling is in talks to star in the sequel to Blade Runner. The 34-year-old actor will be joined by Harrison Ford, who played Rick Deckard in the original 1982 film. Ford will reprise his role but it is uncertain which part Gosling, if negotiations are successful, will play.

Ryan Gosling is in talks to appear in Blade Runner 2.

Continue reading: Ryan Gosling In Talks For 'Blade Runner' Sequel

Child 44 Review

By Rich Cline

Good

A meaty, fascinating story is splintered into three plot strands that battle for the viewer's attention, so while the film is never boring, it's also oddly uninvolving. Fortunately, it has an excellent cast and is shot with skill and a relentless intensity to feel like a big, epic-style dramatic thriller with heavy political overtones.

After a scene-setting prologue, the story starts in 1953 Moscow, where Leo (Tom Hardy) is a war hero now working in the military police, purging the city of its spies. Or at least its suspected spies. In the Soviet socialist utopia, crime officially doesn't exist, but Leo finds it difficult to tell his best pal Alexei (Fares Fares) that his 8-year-old son was killed in a train accident when he was so clearly tortured and murdered. Ordered by his boss (Vincent Cassel) to let it go, and menaced by his rival colleague Vasili (Joel Kinnaman), Leo continues investigating, resulting in a reprimand that sees Leo and his wife Raisa (Noomi Rapace) relocated to the the grim industrial city of Volsk. But when another young boy's body appears here, Leo gets his new boss (Gary Oldman) to see the connection.

There are at least three main plots in this film, and the filmmakers oddly never allow one to become the central strand. There's the mystery involving this brutal, unhinged serial killer (Paddy Considine) stalking boys along the railway. There's the thriller about Leo being brutally taunted by Vasili, who has a thing for Raisa and is trying to crush them for good. But the only emotionally engaging strand is Leo and Raisa's complex marriage relationship, which takes a couple of unexpected turns. Along the way, there are several action sequences shot with shaky cameras and edited so they're impossible to follow. And there's a sense that the film also wants to be a grandiose Russian epic with its expansive cinematography and big orchestral score.

Continue reading: Child 44 Review

'Alien' Voted The Scariest Movie Monster Of All Time

By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 08 April 2015

Ridley Scott

The iconic monster from the 1979 movie of the same name topped a list voted for by the Radio Times.

Nearly forty years after it first appeared on our screens to terrify audiences, the Alien monster from the eponymous sci-fi / horror franchise has been named as the scariest movie creature ever.

A poll of over 2,000 votes from among readers of the British TV listings magazine The Radio Times put designer H. R. Giger’s creation at the top of the list. The monster first appeared when it burst through John Hurt’s chest in the titular 1979 movie, and went on to be the star of three more Alien movies plus a handful of spin-offs, franchise crossovers and a prequel.

Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver was the star of all four of the 'Alien' movies