Bond girl Gemma Arterton eyes 'Alien' prequel role

English actress Gemma Arterton is set to star in The Keys to the Street – a book-to-film adaptation scripted by Christopher Nolan – and is being considered for a role in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Alien prequels, reports Screen Rant.

Arterton played the role of damsel in distress/love interest to Sam Worthington and Jake Gyllenhaal in Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, respectively. Neither of those two roles or Arteron’s turn as Strawberry Fields (yes, that was the character’s name) in the last James Bond movie earned her much in the way of critical accolades.

The young thespian was well-regarded for her role in the crime drama The Disappearance of Alice Creed – her turn in that particular feature also left a positive impression on Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott. Arteron revealed recently to The Sunday Times that she has been approached by Scott to appear in the two 3D prequels to his 1979 sci-fi/horror classic, Alien.

While Arteron is already set to appear in several films in the near future – including a sequel to the Titans remake – a role in the new Alien pics could help the actress establish herself as more than just eye candy in Hollywood blockbusters. If nothing else, at least Arteron would not have to play another princess with little to do in the sci-fi prequels.

Another upcoming feature to which Arterton is attached to is an adaptation of the novel The Keys to the Street by Ruth Rendell. The thriller – which revolves around a bone marrow donor who enters a relationship with the mysterious man whose life she saved – was scripted by Christopher Nolan after his debut film, Following was released in 1998.

Nolan has of course gone on to significantly bigger projects since and the Keys to the Street script has undergone revisions following his departure – Arterton’s praise for the screenplay in its current form and her choice to sign on for the project is an indicator that Nolan’s original work may be used after all.

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