It’s been a summer of franchises that might have made okay money (largely thanks to international ticket sales) but left audiences disappointed. “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “The Mummy,” and “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” all fall into that category, but “Alien: Covenant” is its own special thing. Not only was the sequel to “Prometheus“/prequel to “Alien” a box office disappointment (it earned nearly $200 million less than its predecessor worldwide), but it arguably severely damaged the brand. Ridley Scott spent the press tour promising at least two more followups, and boldly stated the next film would be in front of cameras within 14 months. However, that may not be happening.
READ MORE: Neill Blomkamp Talks His Unmade ‘Alien’ Movie: “It Really Felt Like A Cool Third Film
THR reveals that Fox is going to “reassess” what they’re doing with Scott’s two planned “Alien” movies. At the moment, the director is shooting “All The Money In The World” which he is racing to complete in time for the awards season, and after that, he’s apparently expected to film the adaptation of Don Winslow‘s drug drama “The Cartel.” If that’s the case, it certainly means the “Alien” franchise is going to be on ice for a while, and by the sounds of it, Fox is considering whether or not they want to proceed with the rest of the narrative Scott has planned out.
Certainly, the “Alien” franchise isn’t going to hibernate. It’s far too valuable for them to leave to the side, but I bet Neill Blomkamp‘s scrapped “Alien” movie is looking more enticing with each passing day. It would certainly be a way to revive the franchise and bring Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley back to the big screen. That alone would restore the excitement to the series that seems to have faded.