Yesterday, 20th Century Fox unveiled footage from their 2017 slate to press, and impressing many (including us) was the first look at “Alien: Covenant.” Intense, and promising the kind of hard-R franchise entry “Alien” fans have been wanting for a while now, it seems there’s one other surprise waiting for those who buy a ticket to the film next year.
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AVP Galaxy reveals that James Franco is part of the cast which includes Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, and Noomi Rapace. Omega Underground reported this fall that the actor’s agency was trying to land him in the lead role for “The Predator” at the studio, but he wound up passing on the part (the role eventually went to Boyd Holbrook). However, he’s landed a role in another major franchise for the studio (don’t forget, he was also in “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes“) with “Alien: Covenant.”
Franco will be playing Branson, husband to Waterston’s Daniels and captain of the Covenant. The film will mark yet another movie featuring both Franco and McBride following “Sausage Party,” “This Is The End,” “Pineapple Express,” “The Sound And The Fury,” “As I Lay Dying,” and upcoming “Zeroville,” but certainly something much different than we generally expect from either actor.
We’ll see how it turns out on May 19, 2017.