There's so much utter nonsense and speculation - most of it not worth recycling - whirling around Ridley Scott's Prometheus that it's a pleasure to be able to report some solid news. There might be recognisable Aliens in it. We might see the Space Jockey. But we definitelywillsee Idris Elba, Sean Harris and Kate Dickie, alongside the already announced Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace.
Ironically, Scott revealed the latest cast additions while discussing the secrecy of the project. Desperate not to have the script leaked online, all who've yet read it have been allowed to do so only in the presence of Scott or, in one case, a security guard.
We don't then know who anyone's playing, but we can rest easy in the knowledge that Scott is assembling a very strong ensemble here. It's another high-profile gig for the excellent Elba, fresh off Thor but still best known for The Wire (maybe that's about to change). Dickie turned heads in Red Road, and can currently be seen as Lyssa Tully/Arryn in HBO's A Game of Thrones. And Sean Harris most recently played Fred in Brighton Rock, and the terrifying Stretch in Harry Brown. He was also an intense Ian Curtis in 24 Hour Party People. After all the dour urban grit, outer space should make a refreshing change.
Scott is still refuting the Alien Prequel tag, and his latest line is "It's the story of creation, the gods, and the man who stood against them." Is he talking about the classical Prometheus or his own there?
So we're still none the wiser, and thoroughly enjoying it. Isn't it awesome, for once, to not know anything about a film in advance? Hopefully Sir Ridders will succeed in keeping us entirely in the dark until June 2012. Shooting starts sometime soon on seven stages (including the ginormous 007 stage) at Pinewood.