The 'Prometheous' scriptwriter claims he doesn't sabotage the second film and explains his absence.
- Mar 28, 2013
AceShowbiz - Damon Lindelof opened up about why he wouldn't work in an untitled Prometheus sequel, after he was accused of causing a headache to 20th Century Fox and director Ridley Scott when he announced he wouldn't pen the script for the film. He sent an e-mail to /Film to explain the "unglamorous truth" behind the rumors.
In the e-mail, he said that the film wasn't meant to be a trilogy. "After the movie came out and discussions began about a possible sequel, I was already neck deep in writing and producing 'Tomorrowland' with Brad Bird," he said.
Lindelof decided not to go with "Prometheus 2" because he realized that if he took too many projects at one time, "there is a higher probability of those projects sucking." He explained, "I do not want anything I work on to suck. I really don't. I care about these stories deeply -not just as a writer, but as a fan. It might not always feel that way to the audience, but I swear to God it is true."
He also believed that Fox and Ridley would be just fine without him. "As to whether Ridley and Fox are 'freaking out' about me not working on a sequel, well that's news to me. I retain awesome relationships with both. More importantly, the idea that there aren't many, MANY writers out there capable of taking the reins is sort of ridiculous," he continued.
"I did not map out a trilogy and then walk when the going got tough," he added. "The process of working on Prometheus with Ridley was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. Love or hate the result of that work, I don't regret having done it for a second."
Bloody Disgusting reported earlier that Lindelof had turned the originally one-off "Prometheus" into a trilogy. The site called the film was "in flux" and in a state of jeopardy as in December he decided to turn down the offer to write "Prometheus 2". As a result, Fox and Scott are reportedly, "literally freaking out" about where to take the story of Elizabeth Shaw, played by Noomi Rapace.
In an old interview with Empire, "Prometheus" co-scribe Jon Spaiths, said that he and Ridley actually planned on doing multiple films from the beginning. He said in the interview, "We talked about a possible trilogy, or a duology, but more often as a trilogy. And I did have pretty broad notions as to how we were going to get from this world to the original Alien -the baton pass, closing the circle, if you will. So yes, I did have plans for two other films. I came up with an even more twisted sequence than the Medpod, but I cannot tell you what happens..."
