Ridley Scott Confirms the ‘Alien: Covenant’ Sequel Is Back in Development

Ridley Scott has always been eager to revisit the universe he established in 1979, and after nearly a decade away from the franchise, he has made it clear that he is not done with a specific storyline. In recent years, Scott has focused on other projects within the ‘Alien‘ universe, observing as Fede Álvarez’s ‘Alien: Romulus’ and Noah Hawley’s ‘Alien: Earth’ explored new directions without his involvement.

His latest remarks, revealed in an interview promoting his post-apocalyptic film ‘The Dog Stars,’ surprised many fans. Scott has previously referred to ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Alien: Covenant’ as the first two parts of a planned trilogy, intended to connect directly to the events of the original ‘Alien.’ However, the third installment was put on hold after ‘Covenant’ underperformed at the box office in 2017.

Now, in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Scott has confirmed that the long-awaited sequel is officially back in development. This follow-up will continue the narrative of Michael Fassbender’s character, David, the unsettling synthetic who took control of the Covenant and its colonists at the end of the 2017 film. Scott described the project as focusing on David creating “a brave new world for himself.”

Scott’s interest in the character remains strong. He described David as a ticking time bomb, stating to the LA Times, “AIs can go off. And if they do, it’s like a bomb,” indicating that the sequel will delve deeper into the android’s transformation into a full-fledged villain.

This direction aligns closely with the conclusion of ‘Covenant,’ which ended with the shocking revelation that David had secretly destroyed and replaced his fellow android, Walter, also portrayed by Fassbender. He then informed Daniels, played by Katherine Waterston, that he had smuggled facehugger embryos aboard the ship as it journeyed toward the colony world of Origae-6. With the Xenomorphs and the enigmatic Engineers seemingly on a collision course, the unfinished trilogy left numerous unresolved threads for Scott to explore.

Fassbender has expressed interest in returning in previous interviews, mentioning to Esquire that he would be keen to collaborate with Scott again, given how rewarding his experience on ‘Covenant’ was. However, he also admitted to ScreenRant that he doesn’t often think about a potential sequel. Scott’s recent confirmation brings new momentum to that possibility, although there is still no official information regarding a production timeline, a writer, or confirmation that Fassbender will reprise his role.

‘Covenant’ remains a polarizing entry in the franchise, currently holding a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 55% “rotten” audience score, following a worldwide box office total of $240.9 million against a budget estimated between $97 and $111 million. Scott has previously reflected on the franchise’s inconsistent box office performance, stating to Variety that after reviving the series with ‘Prometheus,’ he felt he had “done enough” and hoped the story would continue without him.

Scott is also currently producing a sequel to ‘Alien: Romulus,’ which means he is now involved in multiple aspects of the franchise’s future. Whether this newly confirmed sequel centered on David will conclude the trilogy he initially envisioned or pave the way for a new chapter remains to be seen as more details unfold.

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