It’s a Tragedy That Ridley Scott Is Done With the Alien Franchise (We Still Need One More Movie)

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Despite Ridley Scott’s decision to step away from future Alien movies, there remains a tale within the Alien universe that fans are eager for him to delve into. Known for directing the original 1979 Alien film, Scott played a significant role in shaping this iconic franchise, and his return to the Alien world through 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant breathed new life into it. However, plans for a prequel trilogy leading up to the events of Alien, which Scott had previously discussed, have now been altered.

Ridley Scott explained in a recent interview with Screen Rant that he essentially started anew with the script for ‘Prometheus’, saying he would “resurrect” it. He then collaborated with Damon Lindelof to create this fresh take on the story. Scott also expressed dissatisfaction with ‘Alien 3’ and ‘Alien: Resurrection’, stating that the audience wanted more from the franchise. He followed up by creating ‘Alien: Covenant’, which was successful, but now feels he has done enough and hopes the series continues to thrive.

Ridley Scott’s Alien Story Is Still Missing One Key Story

Ridley Scott’s films, “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” were triumphant comebacks to the “Alien” universe, delving into the backstory of xenomorphs, androids, and human explorations of the title creatures. Fans of these prequels have been clamoring for Scott to complete his trilogy of prequels by creating another movie to bridge the gap between “Covenant” and the original “Alien” film. Regrettably, his recent statements imply that this won’t occur, leaving many questions unanswered.

Approximately 100 years prior to the occurrences depicted in ‘Alien’, ‘Prometheus’ unfolded a narrative where the Weyland Corporation sponsored an expedition into space, aiming to discover the creators of humanity, referred to as Engineers. The android David (portrayed by Michael Fassbender), through his experiments, particularly involving the Engineers’ most potent weapon – a mysterious black liquid, led to the gruesome demise of all human crew members. Concurrently, the xenomorphs’ development was initiated. This narrative progressed further in ‘Alien: Covenant’, which took place 15 years subsequent to David’s actions.

In a different world, it was disclosed that David had journeyed to an alien planet inhabited by the Engineers. There, he unleashed a dark substance which led to their extinction. From certain remnants, this liquid spawned ferocious, primitive creatures – the xenomorphs. Using genetic manipulation and his own skills as an engineer, David altered these beings, initiating the process from face-hugger to chest-burster to the full-grown xenomorph we initially encountered in 1979. The movie Covenant hinted at David using the human colonists on the ship as hosts for more aliens, potentially setting up a sequel to further uncover his actions and delve into some of the enigmas surrounding the original Alien.

Alien: Romulus Set Up the Perfect Future for the Alien Franchise

Though Ridley Scott may not be reprising his role to bridge the gap between “Alien: Covenant” and the original “Alien”, the Alien franchise could be evolving in an even more thrilling manner. The 2024 release, “Alien: Romulus”, demonstrated the great potential of the Alien series when standalone projects are prioritized. “Romulus” was set between “Alien” and the 1986 film “Aliens”, but told a distinct story, subtly referencing Ellen Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) earlier experiences in the original 1979 movie. It would be beneficial for more Alien films and television series to adopt this approach.

In the forthcoming TV series titled “Alien: Earth”, it’s going to take inspiration from this concept. This FX production is set two years before the occurrences in the film “Alien”, which could provide a seamless transition into the original movie, potentially featuring fleeting appearances by characters such as Ripley, Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Kane (John Hurt), and others. The series might address some of the unanswered questions that a third Ridley Scott-directed prequel would have handled. However, unlike a traditional prequel, this series will focus on Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and a diverse band of soldiers, with Earth serving as the backdrop for an independent spinoff tale. Instead of characters venturing into space, various alien species are introduced to our planet.

The future direction of the Alien franchise remains uncertain following Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth, as it’s likely that additional standalone projects may be created. While there have been discussions about Sigourney Weaver reprising her character Ellen Ripley in a potential Alien 5, these plans appear to have been postponed or cancelled. After acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2019, Disney expressed interest in developing more Alien movies, but no new ones have been confirmed as of now. Fans would still be thrilled if Ridley Scott returns to continue his storyline and bridge the gap between Covenant and Alien.

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2025-07-06 16:42