Let’s face it, the ALIEN franchise needs Ridley Scott like the HALLOWEEN franchise needs John Carpenter. These legendary filmmakers helped establish the foundations of their respective horror franchises, and when Scott returns to the world of Xenomorphs, there’s always the possibility of adding another fascinating layer to the mythology.
Sure, PROMETHEUS and ALIEN: COVENANT divided fans, but there’s no denying that Scott’s prequels expanded the universe, raised some intriguing questions about humanity’s origins and delivered plenty of the chest-bursting and back bursting madness we’ve come to expect from the franchise.
Now, there’s another reason for fans to get excited. Sir Ridley Scott is teaming up with Aaron Guzikowski, the writer behind PRISONERS and creator of RAISED BY WOLVES, for a new ALIEN feature that could finally revisit the unfinished story of David 8.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Guzikowski has been tapped to write the next entry in the ALIEN universe for 20th Century Studios. The project is reportedly connected to Scott’s PROMETHEUS and ALIEN: COVENANT, with the morally questionable android David serving as the connective tissue between the films.
There’s one important detail to keep in mind, though. Scott is attached as a producer, not a director, and Michael Fassbender has not officially signed on to reprise his role as David. The project remains in early development, with no director announced and no release date in sight. So we will get a David story that connects the franchise hopefully but there’s no clear distinction if Fassbender will only be used as a reference point or a flashback.
Still, the possibility of returning to David’s story is an intriguing one. ALIEN: COVENANT left audiences with a particularly nasty cliffhanger, and anyone who has been waiting to see where David’s experiments and ambitions lead would certainly welcome some answers.
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Scott and Guzikowski have worked together before on HBO’s RAISED BY WOLVES, an ambitious science fiction series packed with unsettling imagery, androids and big questions about humanity. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s well worth adding to your watchlist.
Where Does the ALIEN Franchise Go From Here?
It’s been an interesting time to be an ALIEN fan. The franchise has been expanding across film and television, with FX’s ALIEN: EARTH bringing the Xenomorph nightmare to our own backyard. The second season is already in production in London, with Noah Hawley returning to continue the series.
Meanwhile, the future of ALIEN: ROMULUS 2 remains uncertain. Fede Álvarez has said he won’t return to direct the sequel, although he remains involved in the project, and screenwriter Brian Duffield has confirmed that he worked on rewrites for an ALIEN screenplay. Exactly how those developments affect the planned sequel remains unclear.
And speaking of ALIEN: ROMULUS, we thought the 2024 film was a terrific throwback to the franchise’s early days. Director Fede Álvarez brought back the grimy atmosphere, practical effects, and claustrophobic terror that made the original films so effective, while introducing a new group of characters to suffer through the nightmare. The film also had the benefit of Scott’s involvement as a producer, and James Cameron offered Álvarez feedback after watching an early cut.
Say what you will about the direction the franchise has taken over the years, but ROMULUS reminded us that there’s still plenty of life left in these creatures. And while we may have to accept that Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley isn’t likely to headline every new chapter, there’s a whole universe of stories waiting to be told.
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We’d love to see the franchise continue exploring new characters, new corners of space and the terrifying possibilities surrounding the Xenomorphs, rather than relying entirely on familiar faces. At the same time, there’s unfinished business with David that deserves a proper conclusion.
For now, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that this new project moves forward. If Scott and Guzikowski can deliver a story that expands the mythology while bringing back the dread and mystery that made ALIEN legendary, we could be in for something special.