What If... Ripley, Hicks, and Newt didn't die on Fiorina 161?
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteSeptember 22, 2016Ever since Neill Blomkamp posted concept art showing off his vision for a new installment in the Alien franchise fans have been speculating as to how the South-African director could plausibly resurrect not just the franchises anchor Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), but also her surviving comrades from James Cameron's 1986 sequel Aliens, Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn ) and Rebecca "Newt" Jorden (Carrie Henn). Considering that none of these characters survived David Fincher's Alien 3 and that Blomkamp's concept art shows that characters to have aged accordingly as though the events of Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection never occurred many fans have assumed that Blomkamp's movie would retcon the latter two installments from the franchise, despite Blomkamp's assertations that this is not the case.
While fans share Blomkamp, Weaver, and Biehn's excitement about what the former has in store for his addition to the Alien franchise, Ridley Scotts insistence that his next movie Alien: Covenant take priority over Blomkamp's hotly anticipated addition has been interpreted by many fans and critics as a greedy move by the aging British director. Scott, who helped launch the franchise back in 1979, is currently expanding the mythos behind the "Space Jockey" dead alien pilot seen in the first movie and its relationship to and with the Eggs discovered beneath his tomb. Scott's first attempt at establishing that mythology started with 2012's Prometheus, but after a divided reception from audiences can Scott really justify that his new Alien movie is more "important" than Blomkamp's.
Blomkamp's vision for the next "true" Alien movie has ignited flames of speculation among many fans with many wildly theorizing how beloved characters Hicks and Newt could possibly return to the big screen. With such rife speculation, fans have suggested far-reaching science fiction tropes such as time travel and alternate realities, while Blomkamp keeps his cards close to his chest about the movies narrative, which has been described as a fond farewell to Ripleys character while also allowing the story to continue as it should have after James Cameron's Aliens. Interestingly, however, the South African director's assurances that he will not be retconning David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's less favored installments has fans somewhat perplexed.
For months we have all postulated the possibilities of how Blomkamp's Alien movie will fit within the franchise as organically as he claims, although in all honesty none of these theories hold any weight under even the slightest scrutiny - until now. Blomkamp has released concept art showing Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and Carrie Henn, as they look today, as though their characters have aged 30 years along with the rest of us. This is the most obvious clue to what I choose to believe (sorry) are the secrets behind Blomkamp's narrative, hidden in plain sight. If these characters have aged 30 years and are still alive in what would be circa 2209 then ergo none of these characters died on Fiorina "Fury" 161. Of course, this flies against the evidence of what we saw in Alien 3 unless the events of that movie were not as they seemed.
Where am I going with all this? The answer, the secret behind the "on hold" Alien movie is actually quite simple and in its simplicity quite ingenious of Blomkamp to have imagined this outcome. Alien 3 was not a bad dream, and Blomkamp's movie is not the result of mankind's meddling with the space-time continuum - if Ripley, Hicks, and Newt are to have survived and have aged then they did not die on Fiorina 161. Those that did die on the derelict penal colony were not the characters we believed them to be because they were... clones.
I believe that the events that occurred on Fiorina 161 were an elaborate ruse by a third party to make the Weyland-Yutani corporation believe they had lost access to the Xenomorph. Throughout the narrative of the first three movies, there is a sense of cloak-and-dagger, of subterfuge, in which the Weyland-Yutani corporation are attempting to acquire specimens of the deadly alien creature covertly. Such covert actions suggest that Weyland-Yutani has been disallowed direct action by a superior body or organization one of which watches all of Weyland-Yutani's dealings, exchanges, and transports.
One would imagine that such a powerful force, possibly governmental would have become aware of Weyland-Yutani's repeated interest in Acheron LV-426 and the surviving member of the USCSS Nostromo, Ellen Ripley, possibly forcing their hand into taking direct action to ensure that Weyland-Yutani never acquires a specimen of the Xenomorph by elaborately staging the untimely death of Ellen Ripley while securing the source of the deadly alien creature, as evidenced in some of Blomkamp's concept art.
To clarify, and to elaborate for those wanting more detail, the theory I am suggesting is as thus...
After the events of "Aliens" the USS Sulaco is boarded and Ripley, Hicks, and Newt are woken from hypersleep. While they are still groggy a team of "white coats" take blood samples before drugging our survivors. The trio is taken aboard another vessel, with Ripley accompanying the whitecoat's whom, using advanced technology (possibly Engineer in origin) use the collected blood samples to produce clones, with Ripley's brainwaves and memories being imprinted onto her clone. These three clones are then taken aboard the USS Sulaco were a team is finishing up reprogramming the remains of the ships Bishop android.
Two Xenomorph eggs (taken from the derelict on LV-426) are then brought on board the Sulaco, one placed in the hypersleep room, the other in the EEV. Newt is drowned and Hicks is otherwise killed, ensuring one of the Facehuggers will use Ripleys clone as a host and the Sulaco is sent on its way to Fiorina 161 with no record or evidence of the secret boarding. The events of Alien 3 occur with the Weyland-Yutani corporation thinking they have lost all access to the Xenomorph.
Who would go to such lengths and why? W-Y's actions thus far suggest they are not allowed to pursue Engineer technology, probably because of the events of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. With Engineer tech being so inherently dangerous it has been ordered by powers greater than W-Y, such as a governmental body (possibly Korean or Japanese from Blomkamp's art), that the discovery of any such tech must be reported to this body to be destroyed. Having originally discovered this tech on LV-223, and already smitten by the possibilities it offers W-Y have acted covertly to obtain the tech instead of reporting it (Alien - Alien 3). Thus this governmental body uses clones of the Sulaco survivors in an elaborate ruse to make W-Y believe they have lost all access to the Xenomorph creature they are so desperate in obtaining.
In Short (as there seems to be some confusion) The Ripley, Hicks, and Newt that will appear in Blomkamp's movie are the same characters as those from Aliens, just older. The clones mentioned in the theory above where planted aboard the EEV. This is why Hicks remains were so unrecognizable, it saved the perpetrators the trouble of recreating his facial scar. The Hicks in the concept art has the facial scar because it was burnt to his face during the events of Aliens. The clones were planted on the EEV in an elaborate ruse explained in more detail above by whoever is the human "power that be" in the Alien universe.
Of course, Blomkamp's concept art suggests that this governmental body has no intention of destroying Engineer technology and wants to obtain it for themselves and is successful in doing just that. Though how and why this leads to Ripley becoming part Xenomorph I have yet to imagine a viable theory. The possibilities of Blomkamp is bringing to the table has rekindled by faith in this franchise. But does my theory stand up to your scrutiny?
I think I’m a bit nostalgic when it comes to these characters as well. In fact I saw the first two alien films growing up. Still like the dated special effects. Alien is showing a little rough around the edges and it is still a great movie to this day.
However, I think it would be wise for Aliens fans not to get too attached to any one single paradigm or premise. Scott can pull off almost anything with the newest special effects. They have come a long way in 35 years. Alien Covenant has a budget of 200 million so we know this has heavy substance. Maybe one of the last epic great blockbuster Scifi films for a long time perhaps.
It is plausible that the Engineers warp space or something and can go back to the time Ripley, Newt, and Hicks are alive. After 10000 years or even a 100000 thousand years of evolution maybe much more is possible for them.
The Prometheus ship that went to LV426 was traveling faster than the speed of light, and yet no one questioned it at all. Now those were some interesting special effects. I never want to limit what might be possible in any of these films.
Now here is another fine expression in other artwork that maybe touches on what else might be possible for Alien movies in the near future.
I have added a more detailed clarification to the end of the OP for any that may have been confused as to what my new theory actually is suggesting.
@ Chris Picard,
Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I believe the Hicks in the concept art, is THE real Hicks, the one from Aliens; same goes for Newt and Ripley. The Hicks, Newt and Ripley that were all killed (ultimately) on Fiorina 161 were the clones. Thus the 8th Ripley clone in Alien Resurrection is actual a copy of a copy (spot the music reference if you can).
@ Big Dave, the theory is much more simpler than you have read into it. Hicks in the concept art is Hicks from Aliens, not a clone - the clone was on the EEV. Everyone on the EEV was a clone!
@ S.M.
Untrue.
Special Order 937 shows that Weyland-Yutani were aware that specimens of the Xenomorph were present on LV-426. Why then did they re-route the Nostromo, and then wait 37 years before establishing Hadley's Hope instead of simply sending a vessel like the Patna, a vessel capable of safely and efficiently extracting the Xenomorph specimens they clearly coveted so much.
David Giler's only true contribution to the script, the corporate conspiracy angle, may have been an overused trope by the end of the 1970's but ironically in Alien it shows that the big bad "company", as powerful as it may have become is not in charge and that in the 22nd century whoever is in charge has sanctioned, disallowed or otherwise prohibited Weyland-Yutani and possibly other corporations from directly acquiring Engineer Tech, or derivatives thereof. And it would seem from Blomkamp's concept art that he is hinting that the Korean's may be a part of this.
It seems that aside from some initial confusion that this theory seems to hold some weight and maybe just might be the way in which Neill Blomkamp intends to take the franchise in a fresh direction without actually undoing the work of previous directors and screenwriters.
For those that may still be confused - everyone from the EEV in Alien 3 was a clone, the real Ripley, Hicks and Newt were taken by "them", whoever "them" happens to be; The ICC, the government or some other ruling body. Everything else is explained in the OT...
@ S.M.
In Alien, the act of sending a tug without notifying the crew and planting a synthetic on board to help execute special order 937 rather than just sending a suitably equipped science vessel suggests that in some way the company was not allowed to do the latter. Sending a crew unawares, with million's of dollars worth of cargo to its inevitable death is hardly the practice of a benevolent organization. This "cloak and dagger" disregard for their employees is further exemplified in Aliens with the company waiting 37 years between rerouting the Nostromo and establishing a colony to LV-426. Immediate action after the loss of the Nostromo would have alerted unwanted attention into the company's interest in the moon.
Surely I am not the only one to have made this inference, it is literally the running theme for the company in the Alien franchise; a corporation using illegal means to acquire what it cannot legally. Thus by extension, there must be a body that governs the company and others.
Yet the multiple events on the moon depicted in Aliens would have alerted such attention from "them", who from Blomkamp's concept art seem to have their own designs on the technology of the engineers and, likely too, its cargo. As to why the elaborate ruse of planting a trio of clones onboard the Sulaco's EEV - Ensuring Clone Newt and Clone Hicks death in the crash would only leave Ripleys clone, which (with copied memories from the original Ripley) considering her past with the Xenomorph virtually ensures the events that the transpired in Alien 3, thus denying the company their prize.
