Ridley Scott to film up to three Alien movies in Sydney

Ridley Scott has confirmed possibly three Prometheus sci-fi films will shoot in Australia before tying up with Alien.

Julie Bishop welcomes Sir Ridley Scott for an announcement about his next film.

Director Ridley Scott has confirmed possibly three Prometheus sci-fi films will shoot in Australia before tying up the story with his famed 1979 film Alien.

And Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed the Turnbull government will likely lift the Location Offset incentive from 16.5 per cent to 30 per cent in the May budget to attract more international films to Australia.

Mr Scott shared the stage with Ms Bishop at Sydney’s Fox Studios Australia where the director of Gladiator and The Martian will begin shooting the first sequel to Prometheus, Alien Covenant, starring Michael Fassbender, in February.

Ms Bishop said a meeting with Mr Scott in New York last September convinced the government the opportunity to host the sequel — after Scott previously contemplated filming Prometheus and The Martian here — “was not to be missed.”

GALLERY: Blockbusters made in Australia

She added the government offered to lift the offset, which is a government rebate on film or TV expenditure in Australia, to 30 per cent for two particular projects despite “for a long time” being “resistance by Treasury and others” to any rise. She said the move aligned with PM Malcolm Turnbull’s “urging to be more agile and more nimble.”

Immediately, Scott’s big budget film and the Marvel Studios’ sequel, Thor: Ragnarok, starring Chris Hemsworth, committed to filming here, the latter at the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios. The NSW deputy premier Troy Grant said the film will contribute more than A$60 million to the state’s economy and employ more than 600 local cast and crew.

Mr Scott revealed the Prometheus sequel is part of a series of three films that will meet up with the original 1979 film Alien and pose the question he was frustrated wasn’t asked in the Alien series by subsequent directors: “Why was this space jockey there and why did he have an Alien inside him? Those questions will be answered.“

Scott said he has an affinity with this country after he “discovered I get on with Aussies”, including “one of the hardest ones”, Russell Crowe, and “the marvellous kid, Cate Blanchett,” who was originally set to play Jessica Chastain’s role in this year’s hit, The Martian. That sci-fi film starring Matt Damon has become the 77-year-old’s biggest box office hit.

Michael Fassbender will reprise his Prometheus role as the synthetic David. Scott hasn’t contracted other cast and Noomi Rapace will only appear briefly in Alien Covenant. He added he was keen to use Australian actors.

Scott anticipated the sequels would likely continue to film in Australia although the Blade Runner sequel, which we wrote and will produce, with Denis Villeneuve directing, will not. “You’re too clean and too modern here,” he said.