Prometheus Full Trailer 2

There’s a new potential blockbuster in town, and it’s not a sequel, it’s not a prequel, and it doesn’t star Iron Man. Alright, maybe it’s kind of a prequel. Prometheus, the new science fiction thriller by director Ridley Scott, takes place in the Alien universe that Scott created, contains “strands of Alien DNA,” and happens in the same planet where the whole franchise started, but ultimately has nothing to do with the xenomorphs we know and fear.

Starring a stellar cast, including Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, and Idris Elba, Prometheus appears to be more than your average blockbuster. Originally spawned as an attempt to add a 5th installment to the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott brought in former-Lost show runner Damon Lindelof to help develop a separate story not directly connected to the franchise. The result is a film that takes advantage of the trendy 3D technology, but doesn’t seem like it will talk down to its audience. There’s a lot of substance, a lot of detail, and what appears to be a lot of story.

It’s a refreshing change of pace to a film season that’s dominated by sequels, franchises, and board game adaptations. And although it’s technically part of the Alien franchise that has been active on screens since 1979, it really doesn’t appear to be cut from the same cloth. A lot of how Hollywood tries to get butts in seats is to make a movie based on the characters or situations that they’re already familiar with. While Prometheus sticks with this formula, it takes this opportunity to branch away with an original story and challenge the audience to love new characters.

There’s a lot of reason to be excited for Prometheus. It’s got a compelling and creepy premise, a wonderful cast, excellent effects, and will be released in 3D. But perhaps the most exciting thing about this movie is that this is an original story, straying from the new Hollywood norm as much as it can. If Prometheus works out the way that people hope it will, this might be a chance for Hollywood to start investing in new, fresh stories, instead of coming up with a reason to give a movie an unnecessary sequel.