The last “Alien” installment, “Alien: Covenant,” from director Ridley Scott did lackluster business at the global box office, and while there had been some comments from Scott about a third prequel film, he was developing, the filmmaker seems to have pivoted elsewhere in recent years. Maybe that’s for the best, as it looks like another ‘Alien’ movie project was quietly gestating behind the scenes as the beloved R-rated franchise may still have life in it yet.
In a shocking twist, 20th Century Studios has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that an “original” film set within the iconic “Alien” cinematic universe will be written and directed by Fede Álvarez (“Don’t Breathe,” “The Girl In The Spider’s Web”). Ridley Scott won’t totally be gone, however, and he will produce the untitled project via his Scott Free production banner and was approached by Álvarez with his idea.
It will be a Hulu exclusive, like the latest “Predator” movie, “Prey.” As studio head Steve Asbell recently touted a “streaming mandate” that will see a bulk of their films heading to Disney-owned streaming services.
Further details aren’t mentioned in the article, so we’ll have to wait to determine how it factors into the franchise’s timeline. The mainstream films featured Sigourney Weaver playing Ellen Ripley in four installments from 1979-1997; she would land a Best Actress nomination for her performance in James Cameron’s sequel “Aliens.” Scott eventually returned to direct prequels “Prometheus” and “Covenant.” Two forgettable “Alien vs. Predator” movies taking place outside the main canon were also released but really didn’t make much of an impact with fans.
Scott and Neill Blomkamp both attempted to tackle different versions of “Alien 5” with Weaver returning, but both incarnations never made it past the development stage. Despite being known for its mature violence, the “Alien” franchise has spawned comic books, toys, video games, and almost an animated television series at one point.
The next ‘Alien’ project will be a live-action Earthbound prequel series from Noah Hawley (“Fargo”), but won’t begin shooting until next year due to Hawley’s commitments to making a fifth season of “Fargo” at FX.