I’m not usually the one to praise a prequel but the forthcoming one for the Alien series has me pleased as punch. OK, The Thing prequel also has me pretty excited too but that’s it.

The Alien movie has won me over because it’s telling the story of the mysterious Space Jockey, also known as the dead guy who had his chest blown out from the inside. Granted, The Thing prequel has a similar premise but that just goes to show how good 70s sci-fi was – always leaving us wanting more.

Anyhow, today’s news is that Damon Lindelof, writer of Lost, Cowboys and Aliens and the next Star Trek movie, has been hired to rewrite the script. Deadline Hollywood are reporting that Lindelof has signed a deal that would see him working with Ridley Scott to firm up the script, something that may tempt Scott into directing the film.

Fans are champing at the bit to see Scott back in the driving seat and bringing the series back to it’s roots and apparently the meeting between him and Lindelof has sparked some interesting ideas. Lindelof has certainly proved that his writing is up to snuff and his geek credibility is on the up but writing an Alien movie is no walk in the park, right Joss Whedon?

After the recent boneheaded decision to abolish the UK Film Council, the chairman, Tim Bevan, issued a statement on the Council’s official website.

Naturally, Bevan is angered by the decision but he also indicates that this will effect the film industry for years to come.

“Abolishing the most successful film support organisation the UK has ever had is a bad decision, imposed without any consultation or evaluation. People will rightly look back on today’s announcement and say it was a big mistake, driven by short-term thinking and political expediency. British film, which is one of the UK’s more successful growth industries, deserves better.

“Our immediate priority now is to press the Government to confirm that the funding levels and core functions that are needed to underpin British film are locked-in, especially at a time when filmmakers and film companies need more support than ever as they make the challenging transition into the digital age. To that end, we will work with the DCMS over the summer to identify how they can guarantee both continuity and safe harbour for British film.”

Well said, Sir. He’s not the only one that’s feeling disheartened by the Government’s decision. Many filmmakers and journalists are confused as to how the industry will cope with a structured financing body. Mike Goodridge, editor of Screen International had this to say,

“It is a stunning blind side and a shocking blow. It feels like a terrible betrayal of the industry. The UK Film Council has done a good job of slimming itself down so it is a disturbing day.

The UK Film Council has spent the last 10 years establishing the value of film to the economy and this feels like a dismantling of that by the government.”

If you’re wondering what on Earth the UK Film Council does exactly, well, for a start it’s invested over £160 million of Lottery funding into over 900 UK films since it’s creation in 2000. That’s a much needed helping hand to our industry that we’re now without, thanks a bunch ConDems.

It’s helped to fund films like Bend it like Beckham, The Constant Gardener, Fish Tank, Gosford Park, Happy-Go-Lucky, In the Loop, The Last King of Scotland, Nowhere Boy, St Trinian’s, This is England, and Streetdance 3D, the UK’s first 3D film.

While Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan takes flight at the Venice Film Festival this year, his proposed remake of RoboCop gets cancelled according to Moviehole.

According to their source at MGM, the cancellation is down to the studios financial troubles. The insider said of the project, “Gone. Kaput. Cancelled. It was one of the first casualties.” Ouch. So times are really tough at MGM and perhaps this film and others could have been saved by the merger that might have been between MGM and Lionsgate, now I guess we’ll never know.

By the sounds of it, MGM aren’t the only ones who had given up on the idea of another RoboCop.

“[Darren] has lost interest anyway, I believe. Think we’re all just going to have to be happy with the three RoboCop movies that are out there.”

The source also told Moviehole that there had been plans to put another Amityville Horror and Rocky movie into production but ‘not necessarily with Sylvester Stallone’. We’re not really sure that would work out financially for the studio and if people were happy with three RoboCop movies then I think we’re good with six Rocky movies.