It couldn’t have pleased me more to see Alien: Romulus absolutely crush in its box office run on the 2024 movie schedule. Director Fede Álvarez’s midquel was a dark spectacle that proved the saga still has a loyal fanbase, whether or not Ellen Ripley is present.
That development has apparently inspired some movement in further expanding the Alien movie timeline. I’m chestbursting with excitement after reading that not only do we have a Romulus sequel in development to look forward to, but Ridley Scott is actually working on an idea of his own.
Ridley Scott’s Super Busy Dance Card Now Includes An Alien Sequel
A recent THR profile on Scott and his production company, Scott Free, talked up quite a few of the projects that the Academy Award nominee has on the table at the moment. Among the pile of potential pictures are concepts like writer Joe Penhall’s script about the Battle of Britain, the previously announced thriller Bomb with scribe Kevin McMullin, and, of course, his currently developing Gladiator III.
Scott’s previous regrets over not making sequels to classic films like Blade Runner and Alien certainly do seem to be motivating him to revive and develop the franchises he’s left behind in the past. Clearly that F-bomb filled reaction to Alien: Romulus wasn’t the final word on Ridley Scott’s excitement over the wide wide world of Xenomorphs. His potential return couldn’t come at a better time, as there’s an important story I think he’s looking to finish with his hypothetical follow-up.
What I Think This New Ridley Scott Alien Movie Will Be About
I love big swing movies. I’ve been on the record about this several times in the past, and I even recently talked about why Halloween III is the best classic series entry. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that I love what both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant added to 20th Century Studios’ long running franchise.
And it’s that thread that I think Ridley Scott is about to return to with this brand new bag. Considering how well Fede Álvarez and frequent collaborator/co-writer Rodo Sayagues threaded the needle to include nods to pretty much every Alien entry in the series, there’s plenty of room for another chapter in the earlier half of this story.
Alien: Covenant’s ending in particular was left wide open for more handiwork through Michael Fassbender’s David. While I don’t know if Scott is looking to just close this loop with one film, or if he’s still willing to explore a couple more entries before the series closes in on Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Alien female lead, it’s certainly tempting to have his touch back in the series; especially when his big swings come with some pretty huge casting calls.
Recentering ourselves in reality for a moment, we don’t know if we’ll even see this new Alien movie from Ridley Scott anytime soon. Nor do I, or anybody outside of Scott Free’s inner circle, have an inkling as to what this story truly will be about. All I do know is that 20th Century Studios’ Alien and Predator plans are very bullish when it comes to both of those series, and I’m ready to see more from both sides.
No matter which side wins, we win in this case, as you can run through almost the entire libraries of those sci-fi masterworks with the power of a Hulu subscription. But if you want to watch Alien: Romulus, you’ll have to either rent or buy it digitally at the moment, or wait until December 3rd for the physical release that includes the first VHS from a major studio in over a decade. Until we meet again, don’t let the bedbugs bite.