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Both Alien and Aliens were met with critical acclaim and are still considered classics in the sci-fi movie genre, but the film series stepped on to shake ground with the release of 1992's Alien 3. With David Fincher in the director's chair, the threequel earned mixed critical reception, and while opinions will vary on whether it's the worst entry in the franchise, it definitely doesn't come close to being the best. The final version of Alien 3 was written by David Giler, Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson, based off a story by former director Vincent Ward, but word has come in that the original Alien 3 screenplay, which was written by cyberpunk author William Gibson, will be published as a comic book miniseries.
Dark Horse Comics announced today that it is bringing William Gibson's un-produced Alien 3 screenplay to life, with writer and artist Johnnie Christmas helping out on the five-issue miniseries. The theatrical version of Alien 3 saw Sigourney Weaver's Ripley fighting a Xenomorph on a penal colony, but Gibson's version of the threequel takes the story in a significantly different direction. As the plot summary reads:
Following the deadly events of Aliens, the Union of Progressive Peoples intercepts the spaceship carrying the hibernating bodies of Ripley, Hicks, Newt, and Bishop. But unbeknownst to them, they have also picked up another deadly passenger whose discovery will unleash a race between two governments to weaponize the xenomorph in this horrifying and poignant Cold War-themed thriller.
Alien 3 is also notorious for killing off important Aliens character Newt and Hicks right off the bat, and the android Bishop had a minor role at best (though Lance Henriksen did appear later as someone claiming to be the android's designer). But as Comic Book Resources revealed, William Gibson's Alien 3 will see some fan favorite characters "return in full force," with Bishop in particular playing a "pivotal role." This isn't the first time that Dark Horse Comics has taken an earlier draft of a popular movie and turned it into a comic book miniseries. Back in 2013, when it still held the Star Wars license, Dark Horse launched The Star Wars, which was based off George Lucas' original draft for Star Wars: A New Hope. As for William Gibson, his published works include Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and The Difference Engine.
You can pick up William Gibson's Alien 3 #1 digitally or at your local comic books store on November 7, and feel free to look at preview pages for the first issue below. As for the Alien film franchise, the most recent entry, Alien: Covenant, hit theaters last year, and while Ridley Scott has talked about making a sequel that focuses on AI, there's been no recent word on its development. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates.
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