· Should the world be happy about the news that Ridley Scott is attached to direct a prequel to his seminal 1979 classic Alien? Fox announced Thursday that the 71-year-old filmmaker will take on a script commissioned from sci-fi screenwriter du jour Jon Spaihts; no plot has yet been announced, but it's probably safe to presume it will unfold aboard the crashed ship that sent the Nostromo crew its "Beware! Aliens!" distress signal in the first place. And then they die. I mean, wouldn't you much rather have a Blade Runner prequel, with Rutger Hauer's fox fur, Elton John glasses and all that? Seriously, Fox -- it's over. [Variety]
Judd Apatow re-ups, China imports our crap for a change and more Hollywood Ink continues after the jump.
· Whether or not America wants to be in the Judd Apatow business this weekend with Funny People, Universal is all about it, signing the hyphenate megapower to a three-picture directing deal that (assuming his current pace keeps up) will keep him at the the studio through 2015. Probably not among those projects: A Knocked Up sequel. Sorry. [THR]
· Summit Entertainment isn't messing around with its bid to become a legit, long-term Hollywood player. Twilight is one thing, but when you can actually get the Chinese to take B-movie droppings like Knowing as one of 20 foreign titles allowed in the country every year, that is studio muscle. [THR]
· Billy Crudup will star as the needy, baby-wanting husband whom Julia Roberts's character flees on a journey of self-discovery in the adaptation of the bestseller Eat, Pray, Love. [Variety]
· Jerry Bruckheimer made a deal for the feature rights to the graphic novel World War Robot, which I'm told is what Transformers on Mars might be like if the title characters didn't turn into jive-talking Chevrolets. [Variety]