Ridley Scott says third Alien prequel is back in the works

Ridley Scott has confirmed that a sequel to 2017's "Alien: Covenant" is in the works, with the film once again centering on Michael Fassbender's android character David. The director revealed the project in an interview with the Los Angeles Times while promoting his upcoming post-apocalyptic film "The Dog Stars," which opens in theaters on August 28.darkhorizons+1

David's "Brave New World"

According to the interview, the film will pick up where "Alien: Covenant" left off, with David creating a "brave new world for himself" after secretly taking control of the colony ship Covenant, along with thousands of colonists and human embryos headed toward the planet Origae-6. Scott told the LA Times he remains fascinated by the malfunctioning AI character. "AIs can go off," Scott said. "And if they do, it's like a bomb."worldofreel+2

The project would complete the prequel trilogy that began with 2012's "Prometheus" and continued with "Alien: Covenant," both of which explored the origins of the franchise's iconic xenomorphs through the lens of David's increasingly dangerous ambitions. Fassbender has previously expressed openness to returning, telling Esquire last year, "I love working with Ridley. It was such a great experience."imdb

A Franchise in Flux

The announcement is notable given Scott's complicated recent history with the franchise. Over a year ago, he had seemingly stepped away from the series, telling ScreenRant, "I think I've done enough, and I just hope it goes further." Meanwhile, Fede Álvarez, who directed the commercially successful "Alien: Romulus," had been developing a sequel to that film before departing over reported creative differences.darkhorizons+1

According to World of Reel, Scott reportedly rejected Álvarez's desire to include the David character in the "Romulus" sequel because he wanted to retain the option of bringing David back himself — a decision that may have been a key factor in the director's exit. 20th Century Studios subsequently approached "Evil Dead Burn" director Sébastien Vaniček for a separate, non-"Romulus" project in the franchise.worldofreel

No production timeline, writer, or official confirmation of Fassbender's involvement has been announced. But as Dread Central noted, the project being described as "in the works" rather than merely aspirational marks a shift from Scott's previous comments about one day returning to the story.dreadcentral