Ridley Scott Opens Up About Prometheus, Kick-Ass Women, and Blade Runner 2
No project is off limits to Ridley Scott. Over the course of his 35-year filmmaking career, the English auteur has dazzled audiences with his thrillingly diverse oeuvre, tackling everything from science fiction (Alien, Blade Runner) and sword-and-sandals epics (Gladiator) to modern warfare (Black Hawk Down). He is probably the closest thing to this generation’s Kubrick.
Another thing that sets Scott apart is his reliance on strong women. He created the modern Hollywood action heroine with Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, in 1979’s Alien, and has continued to champion strong female protagonists in films like Thelma & Louise, G.I. Jane, and Hannibal.
After 30 years, the acclaimed director has decided to return to the genre where he made his name with one of this summer’s most anticipated films, Prometheus. The film follows the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as they explore an ancient alien civilization in order to trace the origins of the human race and, in fitting fashion, a kick-ass female character, the archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), takes the lead. Accompanying her on the mission is David, an android (played by Michael Fassbender), and Meredith Vickers (played by Charlize Theron), a villainous Weyland Corporation employee sent to monitor it.