Fox Wants Charlize Theron for Alien Prequel

Academy Award winner Charlize Theronmay be leading the crew in Ridley Scott’s untitled prequel toAlien, if 20th Century Fox gets their way.

According toVulture, the studio is having the script rewritten so the female lead, Elizabeth Shaw, is more befitting of the South African-born actress (or at least someone of her caliber), while Scott is pushing for Swedish actress Noomi Rapace ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoofame.

Apparently Scott wants a multi-national crew aboard his sci-fi vessel for the film, which takes place roughly 35 years before Sigourney Weaver’s encounter with the creatures of Scott’s 1979 original. If he had his picks, Rapace would star alongside rising Irish actorMichael Fassbender, who is currently in negotiations to play an android, and Chinese Malaysian actress Michelle Yeohas Vickers, a“tough-but-sexy” crew mate.

I’m not sure Theron is exactly the box office draw Fox thinks she is– Aeon Fluxanyone?– particularly for a high-profile film like this one that doesn’t need a“name.” Studio executives love to plaster a recognizable face on the poster or feature their expensive star heavily in the trailer when, in reality, for this movie people just want to see aliens slithering out of the shadows and devouring humans.  Plus star power and Oscar glory mean nothing if Theron can’t convincingly play a resilient underdog struggling to survive in space.

Meanwhile, Universal is stillattempting to lureTheron to play the evil queen, Ravenna, inSnow White and the Huntsman, a PG-13 re-imagining of the classic fairy tale.

This newfound interest in Theron sparked when the 35-year-old actress passed on Clint Eastwood’sJ. Edgar, a biopic of Hoover starring Leonardo DiCaprio. According to the report, her representation assumedshe would accept the roleof Helen Gandy, Hoover’s personal secretary for over 54 years, but Theron ultimately turned it down and issued an apology to Eastwood for the mix-up. The director is now seeking a new actress for the part, reportedly Naomi Watts or Amy Adams.  Personally, I’m surprised top talent are considering the part since it’s merely a supporting role in the script and has little impact on the plot, unlike Hoover’s beloved mother (played by Judi Dench) and his male lover (played by Armie Hammer). Perhaps it’s just the opportunity to work with the great Clint Eastwood?

We will have to wait and see whether Theron chooses sci-fi or fantasy.

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