A new Alien film is moving forward at 20th Century Studios, bringing filmmaker Ridley Scott back to the franchise’s unfinished prequel storyline. Aaron Guzikowski, the screenwriter behind Prisoners and creator of Raised by Wolves, has been tapped to write the screenplay. Scott will produce the project alongside Michael Pruss through Scott Free, although he is not currently attached to direct. No director has been announced.
The project is reported to connect with Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), potentially continuing the storyline involving the synthetic android David. Michael Fassbender, who portrayed David in both films, has not officially signed on to reprise the role. The studio has also yet to announce the new film’s title, release date or complete storyline.
The project reunites Scott and Guzikowski, who previously collaborated on the science-fiction series Raised by Wolves. Guzikowski created the series, while Scott served as executive producer and directed its first two episodes. The show explored artificial intelligence, faith and the dangers of creations developing ambitions of their own, themes that also feature prominently in Scott’s Alien prequel films.
Guzikowski earned wider recognition for writing Prisoners, Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 thriller starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. His appointment brings a screenwriter experienced in morally complicated characters and unsettling narratives to a franchise that has repeatedly used science fiction to examine humanity’s darker instincts.
The new film remains in early development, and the extent of its connection to the earlier prequels has not been officially detailed. However, David’s unresolved story provides a potential narrative link to the films that Scott directed before the franchise moved forward with Alien: Romulus.
David, introduced in Prometheus and developed into a central antagonist in Alien: Covenant, became increasingly obsessed with creating life and surpassing the limits imposed on him by his human creators. His experiments and ambitions expanded the franchise’s mythology beyond the threat posed by the Xenomorph, placing questions about artificial intelligence, creation and the relationship between creators and their creations at the centre of the story.
Scott has previously indicated an interest in continuing the narrative after Alien: Covenant, describing David’s ambition as an attempt to create a brave new world for himself. That possibility gives the new project a potential connection to the prequels, which explored the origins of life alongside the familiar horror of the alien creature.
David’s fate remains unresolved following the events of Alien: Covenant. The film ended with the android aboard a colony ship carrying human embryos, leaving open questions about what he intended to do with them and how his experiments might affect the people aboard the vessel. A continuation could explore those consequences, although the new film’s plot has not been officially revealed.
Fassbender’s involvement remains one of the key uncertainties surrounding the project. His portrayal of David connected the two prequel films, with the character evolving from a synthetic companion into a figure whose ambitions threatened the humans around him. However, until the actor’s participation is confirmed, his return should not be treated as established casting news.
The development of the new film also raises questions about the wider direction of the franchise. A follow-up to Alien: Romulus has been discussed, but its development status remains uncertain in the supplied information. The new project, meanwhile, is reported to return to the prequel storyline established by Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. If both directions move forward, the franchise could continue exploring separate narratives rather than simply following the events of its most recent theatrical instalment.
Scott’s role is another important distinction. Although he is closely associated with the franchise and is producing the new project, he is not currently attached to direct. He will work with Pruss through Scott Free, while Guzikowski develops the screenplay. The studio has yet to name a filmmaker to direct the film, and further details about the production remain unannounced.
For the franchise, the appeal of revisiting David’s story lies in the questions it leaves unanswered. Rather than focusing solely on another encounter with the Xenomorph, the project could return to an android whose experiments and ambitions have the potential to reshape the series’ mythology. His story has remained open since Alien: Covenant in 2017, and a continuation could examine the consequences of his attempts to create life.
For now, the reported project remains at an early stage, with its director, release date, full plot and casting yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, Scott’s involvement as a producer and his reunion with Guzikowski place the new film in direct conversation with the prequel storyline. Whether it ultimately continues David’s journey, the project signals a potential return to one of the franchise’s most unresolved chapters.
