Ridley Scott Is Rewriting the Next Alien Movie After Romulus

Ridley Scott says he has personally returned to the Alien franchise and is rewriting the next installment, with the project set to continue the story established in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. In an interview with French outlet AlloCiné, the director said Alien: Romulus was “okay” but needed improvement, adding that the film helped prompt his renewed involvement. Scott also described having a direction in mind for the next movie and confirmed that it is not intended to be another standalone entry in the series. Instead, the developing film would pick up after Alien: Covenant, with Michael Fassbender’s David at the center of the story. Scott said David now considers himself “Ozymandias,” suggesting that the character’s ambitions and god complex will remain central to the continuation. Scott connected his interest in David to his concerns about artificial intelligence. He said he is drawn to the idea of AI becoming uncontrollable and warned that discovering such a problem could come too late to prevent widespread consequences. The filmmaker’s latest comments follow recent reporting about a possible third Alien prequel. According to Dread Central, The Los Angeles Times previously reported that the project would involve David creating a “brave new world” for himself. Scott has been attempting to continue the prequel storyline since before Alien: Covenant was released, when the planned film was at one point referred to as Alien: Awakening. That continuation was later shelved after Covenant underperformed, while the franchise moved forward with other projects following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Scott’s renewed involvement would bring the unfinished David storyline back into focus, although the supplied reporting does not identify a release date or confirm that production has begun. The future of the franchise has also involved changes around Alien: Romulus. Fede Álvarez stepped away from directing the planned follow-up while remaining attached as a producer, and Dread Central reported that discussions with Evil Dead Burn director Sébastien Vaniček to direct another film had ended. An earlier unconfirmed rumor claimed Álvarez wanted to include David in a Romulus sequel, but Scott’s comments now indicate that the character remains part of his own plans.