Ridley Scott Confirms Alien: Covenant Sequel

Ridley Scott says a third Alien prequel film is in the works, offering hope for a resolution to the cliffhanger ending of Alien: Covenant. His description does not suggest a direct follow-up to 2024’s Alien: Romulus.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times this summer, Scott said the new Alien movie will follow Michael Fassbender’s android character, David, as he creates a “brave new world for himself.”

Scott said he is fascinated by David and the idea of a malfunctioning AI. “AIs can go off. And if they do, it’s like a bomb.” The director prefers making movies about AI to using it himself. He said he “can compete with an AI without any problem” for now, but worries about a future in which the technology becomes “smarter than we are.”

Scott launched the series with 1979’s Alien, then directed two prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

In 2012’s Prometheus, a Weyland Corporation research team sets out to find the origin of human life and discovers dangerous bioweapons resembling Xenomorphs. David becomes a central figure in the expedition. As his fascination with the alien organisms grows, he becomes increasingly disinterested in humanity.

In 2017’s Alien: Covenant, space colonists investigate a distress signal on an uncharted planet, where they encounter David and his disturbing experiments. The film ends with a surprising reveal that implies a sequel was on the way.

The next film in the series, Alien: Romulus, was almost entirely unrelated apart from a few references. It takes place between the first and second Alien movies. Directed by Fede Álvarez, it was a box-office success, grossing more than $100 million more than Covenant on a smaller budget. A follow-up to Romulus was in development, but its status is unclear.

FX’s prequel TV series Alien: Earth adds another entry to the timeline. It is set after Scott’s prequels but before the original film. The series is returning for a second season, with filming planned for later this year or early 2027.

Source: Polygon