The prequel to the Alien films is in the pre-production stages, and 20th Century Fox wants Charlize Theron to play the film’s leading character, Elizabeth Shaw. However, it still looks like she’ll star in Snow White and the Huntsman (more on that possibility here) so who really knows.
Just recently, the Oscar-winning actress dropped out of Hoover, the J. Edgar Hoover biopic to be helmed by Clint Eastwood. In fact, she herself never officially agreed to star; her representatives got ahead of themselves and snagged her the role of Helen Gandy.
Now that she won’t be in Hoover, there’s a huge chance that she’ll accept the role of Shaw for the Alien prequel. She’s expected to peruse the script upon receiving an updated edition this week.
However, we can’t count on her starring in this prequel just yet. Vulture reports that Noomi Rapace is Ridley Scott’s first choice, but the studio isn’t so sure that the star of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is bankable enough to lead the film. A big name is important to the studio because the relatively non-famous albeit talented Michael Fassbender and Michelle Yeoh are already on board and thinks that an A-lister is needed to boost the profile of the film.
As irksome as casting roles based on bankability is, Charlize Theron is more than just a pretty face. Even outside of her career-best work in the 2003 Aileen Wuornos biopic Monster, she always brings ardent dedication and pure actability to her performances. Both films would be lucky to have her on board, and she has the versatility to perform excellently in either film.
Stay tuned to Player Affinity for further updates on both the Alien prequel and Snow White and the Huntsman.
