Ridley Scott plans new Alien sequel

Director Ridley Scott is developing a new film that would serve as a follow-up to his 2017 movie Alien: Covenant. The 88-year-old filmmaker revealed the project this week, stating it would see the return of Michael Fassbender's murderous android, David. According to Scott, the film will detail how David creates "a brave new world for himself."

Scott, who directed the original 1979 Alien, has yet to make a good sequel or prequel to it. His new project would continue the story from Alien: Covenant, where David was last seen steering a colony ship with sleeping settlers and human embryos into space. The director suggested that AIs "can go off" and are "like a bomb."

A Crowded Franchise Future

This announcement creates a potential clash of visions for the franchise. Two other major Alien projects are already in development. A sequel to 2024's Alien: Romulus is moving forward, with director Fede Álvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues having finished the script. Álvarez will produce that film alongside Ridley Scott. Furthermore, a second season of Noah Hawley's television series Alien: Earth is also expected.

This leaves the Alien saga pursuing three distinct futures simultaneously:

Of these three approaches, Scott's philosophical style, focused on androids and creation, has already been tried in two films: Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017). Both met with diminishing enthusiasm from audiences.

A History of Unfulfilled Plans

This is not the first time Scott has discussed continuing the Covenant storyline. During the 2017 publicity run for that film, he said a follow-up was already being written and that he would start shooting within 14 months. He once suggested he could make as many as six more Alien prequels, leading up to the events of the original movie. Eight years after Covenant, with no prequels made, Scott had previously announced he had "done enough" and hoped the franchise would continue without him. His latest announcement marks a reversion to his earlier plans.

The source report argues that while Fassbender's David is an intriguing antagonist, he has already been the principal attraction in two films that made little case for a third. It suggests that if the character's story must continue, a high-end television limited series would offer more suitable scope. Such a format could provide the eight hours needed for David to finish explaining himself, which most fans would reportedly watch.

The report contends that another movie featuring David quoting poetry and perfecting his experiments while a new crew of space colonists investigates would be a doubtful proposition. It concludes that there are only so many times you can explain a nightmare before terror turns to tedium. The final plea is to give David a limited series and let the xenomorphs return to their core function in the franchise's future.