Summary
- Ridley Scott is planning a third Alien prequel centered on David.
- The story would continue Alien: Covenant’s unresolved thread and the android’s experiments.
- No title, cast, filming schedule or release date has been announced.
- Michael Fassbender’s return has not yet been confirmed.
Ridley Scott wants to return to Alien’s biggest unfinished chapter by continuing David’s story after the events of Alien: Covenant.
The British filmmaker revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that a third Alien prequel is being planned. The core idea would once again center on David, the android played by Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, with Scott describing the next stage as the creation of a new world of his own.
The statement matters because Covenant deliberately left its story unresolved in 2017. At the same time, it does not yet amount to an official production green light: no title, screenplay, filming date, cast or release timetable has been announced.
What Ridley Scott revealed
Scott directly referred to a third prequel and connected its story to David. His wording indicates that a creative direction has been discussed, but it does not clarify the project’s stage or whether a completed screenplay exists. Saying that a film is in the works signals development intent rather than a committed theatrical production.
The important detail is that the director did not speak generally about another story within the Alien universe. He named David as the narrative focus, suggesting that the film would attempt to answer what happened after the Covenant’s journey and how the android’s experiments developed.
David’s unresolved story
Prometheus began in 2012 as a search for humanity’s origins and the mysterious Engineers. Over the course of the film, David evolved from a supporting android into an autonomous force with his own ideas about creation, perfection and power. Alien: Covenant placed even more weight on him, revealing the scale of his biological experiments.
By the end of Covenant, David had taken control of the colony ship, its passengers in cryogenic sleep and a large number of human embryos. That ending established a clear starting point for a third film, but the continuation did not move forward as the film’s commercial performance and the studio’s later priorities changed the situation.
How it could connect to the original Alien
The two prequels gradually moved closer to the mythology of the 1979 film without completing the bridge. A third chapter could explain the relationship between David’s experiments and the creatures familiar to audiences, the fate of the Covenant and the path toward the original Alien. This remains a possible narrative direction rather than a confirmed synopsis.
Centering on David would also preserve the philosophical core of the prequels: the conflict between creator and creation, an artificial being’s desire to surpass humanity, and the dangerous connection between creativity and destruction.
What has not been confirmed
There is currently no official announcement from 20th Century Studios concerning a green light, financing or a production start. Michael Fassbender has not been announced to return, even though his character is central to the concept. It is also unknown whether Scott intends to direct or to participate mainly as a producer.
The project’s relationship with the franchise’s newer productions is another open question. Alien now covers different periods and creative directions, so a Covenant prequel would need a clear position without undermining the other stories.
Another project on Scott’s crowded slate
The revelation arrives while Scott continues to work at a remarkable pace. His immediate slate also includes the post-apocalyptic The Dog Stars, alongside other film ideas at different stages of development. Creative intent for Alien therefore does not determine the order in which these projects will move ahead.
At 88, the filmmaker remains closely connected to the franchise he launched on screen in 1979. A possible return to the prequels would not simply be a nostalgic move, but an attempt to complete a story that he opened and never had the opportunity to close.
What we think
Continuing David’s story is the most coherent choice for a new Alien prequel because it addresses Covenant’s central narrative gap instead of opening another parallel storyline. Until there is a formal green light, a screenplay and an agreement with Michael Fassbender, however, the project should be treated as a serious creative intention rather than a certain next film.
Frequently asked questions
Has the new Alien film been officially announced?
No. Ridley Scott said that a third prequel is in the works, but 20th Century Studios has not formally announced the production.
Will Michael Fassbender return?
The concept centers on David, but Michael Fassbender’s participation has not been confirmed.
When could it be released?
There is no release date or announced filming schedule. The project remains in development.
Will it directly continue Alien: Covenant?
Scott’s comments point to a direct continuation of David’s story, but no official plot synopsis has been released.
