1979's Alien is an undisputed classic and the film that put Ridley Scott on the map. However, his return to the franchise with 2012's Prometheus and the 2017 follow-up, Alien: Covenant, wasn't quite as successful.
While both received mostly positive reviews, Prometheus was heavily criticised for its convoluted plot and a long list of unanswered questions. Alien: Covenant didn't really address most of those, and came under fire for narrative contradictions and some big swings with the mythology.
The latter was also a box office flop, leading to the franchise being shelved for the better part of a decade. So, Alien: Romulus, while heavy on nostalgia, was widely considered an improvement. It was also better reviewed than Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, with 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to their 73% and 65%.
Fede Álvarez reportedly wanted to use Michael Fassbender's David in his Alien: Romulus sequel, bridging the gap between the movies. Scott objected, leaving the project without a director and placing the franchise back in limbo.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the Gladiator helmer has now revealed that he's "rewriting the next Alien film" with the intention of completing his prequel trilogy. "Actually, I suddenly went back and got involved," he says in the video below. "The one that just came out [2024’s Alien: Romulus] was OK. I think it needs some help. So, I’ve gone back in."
Scott continued, "I’ve already got a footprint for the next Alien. We did Prometheus, and then Alien: Covenant. So, I’m picking up where we left off in Covenant with Michael Fassbender, who now thinks he’s Ozymandias."
While fans are eager to see more of David, Scott dismissing Alien: Romulus as "OK" has split opinions. Many fans are also questioning whether the filmmaker is the right choice to return to the franchise, given that he hailed The Dog Stars—which has 39% on Rotten Tomatoes—as his best movie since The Martian.
Elaborating on plans for David, Scott said, "I like the fact that AI has gone off the rails. If we go AI, the moment we discover it’s off the rails is too late. It could switch every digital thing off in the world like that. You’d have [frick]ing chaos. It’s that kind of stuff that’s scary."
It's unclear whether 20th Century Studios will greenlight Scott's planned Alien sequel. Either way, this isn't the fresh start for the franchise that many fans were hoping for after Romulus.
You can hear more from the filmmaker in the player below.