“Prometheus," the hotly anticipated science fiction film from Ridley Scott, has been cloaked in Kremlin-like secrecy since before shooting even began.
So far, Twentieth Century Fox has tossed out just enough crumbs the whet fanboys' appetites while keeping the movie's central mysteries under wraps. But that's starting to change.
With a brand spanking new series of trailers and a WonderCon panel with the film’s cast and creative team hitting over the weekend, some of the “Alien” prequel’s secrets are finally beginning to be spilled.
Also read: 'Prometheus' Has Rekindled Sci-Fi Fire for Ridley Scott (video)
‘Big things have small beginnings,” star Michael Fassbender intones at the close of the latest trailer.
Here are some clues about what some of those beginnings might entail when the film hits theaters on June 8.
Michael Fassbender Isn’t Human: Fans of the hunky Irish actor’s physical attributes may consider this an established fact, but in the case of “Prometheus” it seems that Fassbender will be playing the ship’s android David.
Fassbender has admitted that he modeled David on Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, instead of Ian Holm or Lance Henriksen, both of whom did android duties in previous “Alien” films. He did not say, however, whether David will be friend or foil for “Prometheus” heroine Noomi Rapace.
An Origin Story in More Ways Than One: Scott has been coy about whether the film is truly a prequel to his 1979 science fiction classic, saying that it contains “strands of ‘Alien's’ DNA.”
Though its not clear if the film will explain the origins of the flesh craving extraterrestrials from the series, it clearly has a lot to say about the role they played in early civilizations.
Part of the film’s hook is that the space crew is following a star map scrolled on cave paintings by primitive cultures such as the Aztecs in an effort to explain the origins of the human race.
“I think they want us to come and find them,” Rapace says in the most recent trailer. Bet she lives long enough to regret accepting that invitation
Corporate Baddies Are Back: The Weyland-Yutani Corporation really made a bloody mess of things in the previous “Alien” films and it looks like they’re back for more corporate driven ruthlessness this time around. However, the company appears to be sans Yutani. A viral video released by Fox shows Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland delivering a portentous Ted talk in 2023, in which he touts the ability to create “cybernetic individuals” and declares “we are the gods now.”
At the WonderCon panel last weekend, Theron revealed that she will be portraying a corporate emissary on the ship’s mission (although she did not reveal if the company in question will be Weyland).
Of her character Meredith Vickers, Theron said: “I thought there was something there where we could take your character who is the quintessential suit, the business aspect of how this thing is getting up there, and turn it into something that is a little different.”
Based on the shots of Vickers running for the escape pod, she never should have left the safety of the corporate suite.
There Will Be Blood: Ok, we kind of suspected as much, but while the first trailer for the film relied on a series of quick cuts between scenes of chaos, the most recent spot depicts all hell breaking loose.
Ships crash, astronauts writhe in agony and a blood splattered and barely dressed Rapace is seen gripping the ship’s walls. The film is not rated yet, but this looks like R-rated mayhem.
It Might Not Be the Same Aliens, But We Kinda Doubt It: Scott has been coy about whether or not audiences will see more of the big cranium-ed, razor sharp fanged creatures from the earlier films. However, something living seems to be wrecking havoc on the crew members of “Prometheus.”
There are quick flashes of tiny looking creatures, gloved hands cakes in plasma and shots of crew members looking pained or possibly infested. There are also a couple of glimpses of shadowy figures that seem to have sprung from the imagination of H.R. Giger, the first film’s legendary special effects guru.
Here's the official HD Trailer — did we miss any clues?