Jon Spaihts Talks Writing 'Prometheus' with Ridley Scott

Did you know the 3D alien star map...

...was inspired by this painting? 'The Orrery' by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1766

According to Spaihts (screenwriter of 'Prometheus') in an interview with Forbes:

• “In a conversation we were talking about star maps and the story-necessity for the navigational instrument we would see, and Ridley Scott started talking about a painting he had in his mind,” Spaihts remembered. “Circles in circles with a candle lit image,” Scott had said. Spaihts thought of the Wright painting and did a Google image search. 

• “Yes, that’s the painting I mean,” Scott exclaimed. “Scientist, scholars and children.” 

• That was Scott, “making the leap from a star map, to an Enlightenment painting, and then back into the far future. His mind just multiplexes in that way,” said Spaihts. “For a writer it’s like riding a f***ing bronco. That kind of interplay is one of the great joys of screenwriting.”

Really, that's pretty cool. The whole thing is a pretty good read. Lots of insight into what it's like working with Scott.

Spaihts has been tapped for 'The Mummy' reboot, which is good news. Really, that series is so hammed up, busy, and sparkly I can't watch (not, of course, the 1932 version with Boris Karloff -- that's required viewing). Not even on disc, a few minutes at a time, with lots of breaks to, like, mow the lawn or something. I just give up. With Spaihts on board we might just have a sci-fi adventure worth watching and even, dare I say, thinking and talking about.

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