Director Ridley Scott confirmed a new Alien film is still in development. However, the filmmaker hinted that his plans for the franchise may have to be revised after the underwhelming reception towards Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
Over thirty years after directing Alien, Ridley Scott returned to helm a prequel titled Prometheus after other filmmakers directed the three sequels that followed the original science-fiction horror classic. Released in 2012, Prometheus offered insight into the origins of the iconic Xenomorph and was followed by a sequel titled Alien: Covenant, which featured the creature in a more prominent role and was more narratively similar to the previous installments of the franchise. While the plan was to produce another sequel that would continue the prequel storyline, the future of the franchise appeared to be on hold after the disappointing box office performance of both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
During an interview with Forbes, Scott provided a glimmer of hope for the continuation of the Alien franchise by confirming a new film is "in process." However, Scott noted that the next Alien film may not continue the Prometheus storyline. "We went down a route to try and reinvent the wheel with Prometheus and Covenant. Whether or not we go directly back to that is doubtful because Prometheus woke it up very well. But you know, you’re asking fundamental questions like, ‘Has the Alien himself, the facehugger, the chestburster, have they all run out of steam? Do you have to rethink the whole bloody thing and simply use the word to franchise?’ That’s always the fundamental question," he explained.
Plans for the future of the Alien franchise included a sequel to the first and second film from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp. Jettisoning the panned Alien 3 and Alien: Ressurection from canon, Blomkamp's Alien: Awakening would have seen Sigourney Weaver reprise her role as Ellen Ripley. However, 20th Century Fox axed the project after Scott's Alien: Covenant disappointed at the box office.
While Scott's comments offer little new information, they may be welcomed by long-time fans of the Alien franchise. Though Prometheus and Covenant are not nearly as acclaimed as the first two entries in the film series, fans are likely hoping the franchise can have at least one more installment to conclude on a more positive note.
Then again, Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Aliens are generally considered to be the only two good films in the franchise. So perhaps it's time to rethink the entire approach and bring the franchise to television. If Scott's most recent project Raised By Wolves fares well on HBO Max, perhaps an Alien series isn't so farfetched.
Alien is now available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Forbes