The Alien franchise has repeatedly returned to one of science fiction’s most unsettling questions: what happens when humanity’s search for knowledge and survival creates something it cannot control? Across its films, the series has explored the terror of encountering an unfamiliar life form, alongside the corporate ambitions and ethical compromises that make such encounters even more dangerous. Its prequels, in particular, expanded the mythology beyond the Xenomorph, examining the origins of life and the intentions of artificial intelligence.
That broader mythology has remained a point of discussion among fans, especially following the franchise’s return to theatres with Alien: Romulus in 2024. While that film revisited the claustrophobic horror that defined the original, another project now in development could revisit the more philosophical territory explored in Ridley Scott’s prequels.
According to an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski has been tapped to write a new Alien feature for 20th Century Studios, with Scott producing alongside Michael Pruss through Scott Free. The project is reportedly connected to Scott’s Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), rather than serving as a sequel to Alien: Romulus. No director has been attached, and the film remains in early development.
One possible link between the new film and the earlier prequels is David, the android portrayed by Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Reportedly, the character could provide the connective thread between the films, although Fassbender has not been confirmed to return. The project’s plot remains under wraps, and it is not yet clear whether the film will continue David’s story directly or explore a related part of the franchise’s mythology.
Guzikowski’s appointment reunites him with Scott after their work on Raised by Wolves, the science fiction series created by the former and executive-produced by the latter. Guzikowski is best known for writing Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners (2013), the psychological thriller starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal as a father and detective searching for two missing girls. The film demonstrated his ability to build tension through morally complicated characters and an increasingly disturbing investigation. He also wrote the 2017 remake of Papillon and created the television series Red Road. His work on Raised by Wolves further established his interest in science fiction that combines survival with questions about human nature.
The new project comes as the franchise continues to expand across film and television. Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus revived the theatrical series in 2024, grossing more than $350 million worldwide, according to industry reports. A follow-up to that film has been discussed, but the Guzikowski project is being reported as a separate development tied to Scott’s prequel storyline. Meanwhile, Noah Hawley’s television series Alien: Earth has expanded the universe beyond the films, exploring the relationship between corporations, synthetic beings and alien life.
Scott, who directed the original Alien in 1979, is not currently attached to direct the new film. His role is limited to producing alongside Pruss, with the project overseen at 20th Century Studios by JR Young. Guzikowski is also working on an original science fiction film for director Jon Watts, an adaptation of a Philip K Dick short story for Sony Pictures and an animated adaptation of the video game Death Stranding.